


Please Hate Me

by Silence_burns



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Comedy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Gen, Humor, M/M, No Angst, Slow Burn, Stark Tower
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2020-07-09 08:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 45,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19884328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silence_burns/pseuds/Silence_burns
Summary: Based on: "Imagine having a love/hate relationship with Loki."Just sarcasm, fun and a few bad decisions. Who could've expected that baby-sitting a god could be so much fun?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This series can also be found on silence-burns.tumblr.com :)

It was a warm, sunny midday, therefore perfect for a quick after-mission nap. Your nap time was a sacred time and anyone violating it was asking for trouble - the inhabitants of the Stark Tower learnt that early enough to avoid any major trouble once you moved in and joined the team.

Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate. You helped them occasionally, usually whenever one of the Avengers managed to drag you into a mission. It was still better than paying rent, though.

Having all of that in mind, it was even more unusual to hear such a loud argument, coming, probably, from the kitchen. It was truly surprising, given the amount of potential harm kitchen utensils could cause, had the argument become too heated. All arguments were usually held in safer rooms, far enough from your usual nap place so you wouldn’t have to join.

Curious, you didn’t put much focus on being angry, and instead chose to shuffle into said kitchen. If not to watch the whole thing burn, then at least in order to have a snack before there was a body to hide. The odor of death had a terrible influence on food.

Who would have guessed that Tony Stark could look hot even barefoot and in stained sweatpants, standing in the middle of the kitchen, arguing his lungs out with Steve? You shot him a very appreciating look. That was exactly when you made eye contact with the person patiently standing on the other side of the counter, handcuffed, and visibly annoyed. A very familiar face raised an eyebrow at you.

“Anyone care to tell me what Loki is doing in our kitchen?” you asked, facing Tony and Steve again.

Tony pointed at you with a victorious glare. “Excellent question! But I’m afraid I have to settle a few things first, starting with the fact that this is MY kitchen, and the Tower is also mine, not that anyone here cares about legal formalities, as we can see. That’s a shame, because it would make my point a lot easier with explaining to all of you, that if I don’t want someone here, in MY Tower and MY kitchen, I have every right to declare so.”

“We have no other place to put him in,” Steve said calmly, although there was a certain strain to his voice, as if using all of his patience to remain calm. “No other place in New York has better surveillance system than this tower, and none of it is prepared to hold something like him in.”

“Now you’re taking things out of context, because Banner was the sole reason for all of that, not something like-”

“The reason doesn’t really matter in this particular case, because we have no other solution…”

“There are prisons.”

“Tony, we’ve already been over the brainwashing part of his biography.”

Forgotten, you took some chips from a shelf. Spicy. Your favourite.

You offered some to Loki. Your eyes fell on the gag between his lips. “Oopsie. Sorry. How long have they been like this, by the way?”

Loki shook his head in what was probably meant to mean ‘some time already, and would probably go on for some more’. You agreed with him.

You stuffed your mouth with more chips. “Can’t you, like, get over it already?”

“We will be over it when HE is somewhere else.” Tony was breathing heavily.

“The Tower is literally the best place to keep him in, though.”

“He’s killed people!”

“We all have. Casualties are inevitable in our line of work.”

“He’s killed GOOD people!”

You picked something from between your teeth. “Tony, you remember that time when I had a contract on you and put two bullets in your ass?”

“That’s irrelevant. We didn’t know each other then, and besides, I got you a better paid contract, on your employer, yes, but that has nothing to do-”

“I killed people, Tony. And you welcomed me here.”

You held his gaze, heavy with rage and betrayal. You would feel worse about it, had it not been for his own good. The topic of Loki’s future had been the cause of many heated discussions in the past few weeks, and it’s already been settled on letting him stay in the Tower for some time. Now that he’s actually been brought in, new energy seemed to flow into Tony, unfortunately without new arguments against it.

He has been beaten and he knew it.

“If he murders someone, it’s gonna be on you,” he pointed at you before leaving the kitchen.

Steve sighed deeply, exhausted to the core. His conscience hasn’t been the happiest about the choice the Avengers made together either, but he knew it was the only solution.

You turned to Loki. “Welcome to the Tower.”


	2. Chapter 2

The more you thought about it, the more unfair your situation seemed.

You held strong eye contact with Loki while slurping a shake. It wasn't even particularly tasty, but it was loud and annoying and therefore perfectly matched the feelings raging in you at that moment.

Loki seemed unfazed. He quirked an eyebrow curiously, but didn't comment. Looked like you lost that battle.

Finally, Steve entered the living room, either ignoring the echoing silence or not noticing it. "Sorry, guys. There's been a sort of emergency."

He was holding two thin bracelets, obviously a product of Stark's technology. It looked unfamiliar. Steve handed you one of them.

"It's a tracking device," he explained, moving closer to Loki and, after a moment of consideration, sitting next to him on the couch. "You won't be able to leave the Tower, but even if you do somehow, we won't let you just roam the city."

"How lovely," Loki eyed the bracelet with pure disgust. Those were his first words in the half an hour that followed after Stark gave up and left.

"Yeah," you agreed. "But why are there two of them?"

"That one's for you."

You blinked.

"...what?"

Steve locked the bracelet on Loki's wrist. It clicked with dreadful finality.

"Someone's got to keep an eye on him, and we all agreed you are perfect for that job," Steve stood up with an apologetic smile.

"WAIT, what- Who's 'we', since I wasn't even asked-"

"We've got a mission, and have to go immediately, but if you need anything, you know, call, I guess?" He turned to Loki. "And, please, don't destroy anything."

You couldn't believe your eyes when he just left, leaving the both of you in an awkward silence. Apparently, neither could Loki, because you exchanged equally surprised and suspicious looks over the low coffee table between the couches.

"You heard Cap. Don't destroy shit."

"Where's the 'please'?"

"Check in your ass."

Loki didn't seem impressed by your wits, which was a true shame since you were very proud of yourself. It might not have been your smartest comeback, but at least you asserted your dominance. Sort of.

With a heartbreaking groan, you put on your bracelet. A little dot on one side of it flashed green, which probably meant 'all good'. It didn't feel good. None of it felt good. Curse of an interrupted nap was taking its toll and there were no signs of stopping it anytime soon.

You looked at Loki, properly this time. For someone so bright and evil, he hasn't been much of a talker lately. It was too early to judge if it was good or bad, though.

He was still dressed in his black and green armour, which was boring, since that was all you ever saw on him. His gag was taken off, finally allowing him to talk. It was a shame you didn't have it. Just in case. Maybe you should call Cap about it.

Loki returned the look. He didn't seem impressed by what you presented, which was fair enough given the state your sweatpants were in.

You clapped your hands in a weak attempt of breaking the awkwardness.

"So, you ever played poker?"


	3. Chapter 3

"You're cheating."

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who set up the rules."

"Yeah, but you're still cheating somehow."

Even though Loki claimed he was completely new to the mysteries of poker, he was doing surprisingly well for a newbie. It was suspicious. And a little unnerving. Despite using every single trick up your sleeve, you barely kept up with him. Thank God you didn't suggest strip poker or you'd be in some serious trouble by now.

Loki got a new card. You tried to look very deeply into his face, but it seemed to be a hopeless task. He knew how to put an unreadable mask on.

He put a pile of coins on the table. You lent him some, for the sake of the game, and you were VERY happy you had enough sense in your head to mention that they all come back to you in the end, no matter the result of the game. It's not like you were losing (yet), but let's just say that after a few rounds Loki's skills improved impressively.

He waited for your move.

"You're bluffing," you decided gravelly.

Not a single muscle moved on his face. "Am I?"

Your hand hovered over your cards. Air conditioning was a true blessing of the Stark Tower - you were sweating like a rat.

The intensity of his gaze was burning holes in your skin.

"What are you waiting for? Do it."

"You truly are evil, Loki."

"Do it."

Talk about unhealthy rivalry. Slowly, you let a smile cover your lips.

"You ARE bluffing."

The cards were the judge as you made the move.

Loki threw his on the table with a throaty groan. He really didn't like losing. "How did you know?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," you said sweetly, grabbing all the money and pushing it on your side.

"Come on, I put on my best lying face."

"Apparently, honey, it's not good enough."

He punched the table, leaning over to hover in front of your face.

"It. Is." A growl showed the whites of his teeth. "I'm asking again. How did you know?"

You yawned dramatically, shuffling the cards. To know that you were annoying enough to throw Loki off-guard was an amazing feeling, warming you deeply with satisfaction.

"Look at you, all worked up already by a mere mortal," you cooed softly.

A dangerous flicker appeared behind his eyes. His lips formed a very thin line.

"That's how you wanna play? Alright, let's do this your way," he growled in a low voice.

"No, no, no, I don't like that face! That's your 'I'm gonna wreck this city' face, or alternatively, 'I'm gonna use highly unfair magic tricks to win the next game!"

He looked offended. "I don't do TRICKS, I'm not a cheap magician! I was the Prince of Asgard and the God of Mischief and-"

"And you don't know how to lose! Come on, sometimes luck is just… not on your side."

Loki didn't seem convinced. You still couldn't quite comprehend that you made him play a card game with you, but it was all you had thought of at the moment. At least it made the time pass, right? You hoped the Avengers would come back soon, though. Handling Loki was not really a problem, you'd fought him before, but you'd feel much safer if you knew you weren't completely alone in the Tower.

You stretched your legs under the table. A few hours had passed and you were in need of having a little walk.

Loki leaned back on the couch, resting his arms posessively on its back. He eyed you with his chin up.

"You seem troubled."

"I'm wondering what else we can do. I suppose a nice jog in the gym is below you, o mighty god?"

"Correct."

"Do you ever break a sweat, though, Mr. Mischief? I mean, I've seen you bloody and beaten, but never-"

"That's none of your business and don't call me that-"

"'Mr. Mischief'? Did I miss something?" An unexpected voice joined your argument, making you jolt a little in surprise. You turned your head to see Peter Parker standing in the doorway with a backpack thrown over his shoulder.

"Hey, kid."


	4. Chapter 4

The whole situation Loki suddenly found himself in was not only ridiculous but also growing absurd. Not even in his wildest nightmares would he have imagined himself sitting in that damned Tower, sipping completely dull tea and playing poker with one of the people who put him in chains and defeated Thanos’ army in New York.

It took him a while to fully realise that this was, indeed, not a feverish dream, but the reality he had been forced to live in. He had waited patiently and observed, and now it was time to make a move and get out of this place once and for all.

But maybe after the next round. He had good cards.

It was just in the moment when his anger and irritation got the best of him and made him consider throwing hands with his, how low had he fallen, babysitter, that a boy showed up, young and innocent and obviously with terrible timing.

Loki sat back, taking a hold of his emotions. If the boy managed to distract you long enough, it will only prove easier to sneak out of the tower.

The boy’s eyes widened when he recognized the god, which pleased Loki deeply. There was a chance that at least someone would treat him appropriately and not like a commoner.

You snapped your fingers, bringing his attention back to yourself.

“Peter, I asked what you were doing here?”

The boy stuttered, throwing Loki wide-eyed glances. “I-… Um, wanted to ask Mr. Stark for an opinion on one of my science projects, but he didn’t answer my call so I wanted to check in on him and see if everything’s fine, and I couldn’t find him in his lab, so-…”

“I beg you, that’s enough words,” you sighed painfully.

Loki moved a little to the left.

“Stark and his merry crew are out on a mission, but I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to check that project of yours when they come back, probably late evening, so if you want to tuck in and have a round with us…”

Loki moved to the left again, quiet as a mouse. He was sitting at the very edge of the couch, and almost completely out of your sight.

Peter didn’t seem to notice. “That’s actually what I just wanted to say, because I called Ms. Potts too, and she said the mission would take a few days, so I might ask you for help if you don’t mind-”

“WHAT?”

Loki didn’t as much as jump, it was just a flinch, really, and barely anyone noticed, even when you turned your head to him, utter disbelief painted with bright colors on your face.

Well, it was time to say goodbye.

Loki flashed his brightest smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t trouble you anymore. It was a lovely game, though.”

The moment you realized what he was up to, Loki focused his mind on finding that wonderful stream of energy running through his body, a place where he turned to when casting a spell. Magic ran to him, like a long lost friend, and covered him in familiar greenish mist…

…and disappeared into thin air, leaving him behind, still sitting on the leather couch.

Loki frowned. You smiled slowly, with the lazy smile of a cat finding a trapped mouse. How you produced a knife in that short time, he would never know, but you laid it down now, sitting back on the couch opposite to Loki.

You patted the seat next to you, and the boy carefully obeyed, casting wild glances between you and Loki.

With a truly evil face, you rubbed Peter’s shoulder. “Oh, kid, science and modern technology is my passion.”


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing was going according to plan.

Well, the plan had only a brief moment to properly form, but that was usually enough to make it work. As long as Loki’s magic worked, of course.

The silence was beginning to feel awkward. His magic came and disappeared again, and absolutely nothing had changed in his situation. He was still trapped in the damned tower, with the person in front of him very unwilling to let him sneak out and leave, and, what was the biggest problem, you were now more alert than ever.

Also, you had a knife.

Loki was unsure how you produced it in such a short time when the winds of his magic first enveloped him, and it was only rational to suspect you could produce more, were they to come in handy. Not that he felt threatened, of course. Let’s be real, he was a god.

If he was a little prone to melancholy, Loki might feel a bit of a connection to you at that moment, or at the very least, some sort of mutual respect, between one skilled knife-wielder to another. He wasn’t in a mood for that, unfortunately.

His smile was charming as ever and bright enough to light up the room.

Yours emanated an unnerving threat, and, he had to admit, it had a rather chilling effect.

Peter sat still as a statue. Your arm around him looked comforting, but it squeezed him into obedience.

“So,” you started quietly. “Looks like someone doesn’t have any manners. You planned on leaving like that? Without saying goodbye? Rude.”

“For the record, it was supposed to have a different effect,” Loki pointed out, calm and composed.

“Well, performance issues are not as uncommon as you might think-”

“I think I should go,” Peter scrambled to a standing position, hugging his backpack tightly enough for his knuckles to go white. He really didn’t like where this conversation was going. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Mischief, sir, and I’d love to talk more-”

“Peter, sweetie, but you can, actually!” You reminded him, gesturing openly to Loki. “Look, he’s all yours! As you can see, he has no way of running away, so you can bombard him with as many questions as you want!”

Loki didn’t like where the conversation was going, either.

He didn’t like the joy that idea gave the kid. Peter seemed tempted to do exactly what you said. Oh, how easy it is to plant an idea in such a young mind…

Peter hesitated. “I mean, I would really love to, if it’s not a big problem… And it all makes sense now to me, you know, especially since Mr. Stark made me make that errand with Doctor Strange last week and now I can see what they were planning to use it for-”

Hold on. That name sounded familiar.

An icy cold realization hit Loki hard. He knew that name all too well. He still had some unfinished business with that ridiculous excuse of a sorcerer…

A new plan started to form in his head as he listened to the kid that suddenly got much more interesting.

“You hear that?” you turned to Loki. “Looks like our fancy friendship bracelets are magic-proof, so better not test my patience and don’t try to pull off something like that again, okay? I’m sure if we work together, we can somehow survive these few days.”

“I’d prefer to spend my time differently,” Loki stated carefully.

“So would I, but Tony will skin me alive if I let him down. Come on, we’re adults, we can do this. Besides, you’re supposed to be the good guy now, right? Now’s the perfect chance to prove you can be better and, I don’t know, right your wrongs or something?”

Loki didn’t look convinced. Peter excused himself to the kitchen to call Aunt May.

“Sorry, Tony’s better with the speeches and words, but you know what I mean, right? You promised to work on yourself during your stay here, Thor even vouched for you. He doesn’t want you to go to some Asgardian or Earth’s prison.”

And there was the never ending, fruitless discussion about good and evil. Loki rolled his eyes.

Well, it wasn’t like he felt great about what he was made to do, but he had no intention of staying as someone else’s pet to foster and teach as if he was once again a naughty kid in need of schooling and moral rehabilitation.

He felt guilt. Sometimes. Rarely. On occasions.

But not enough to just give up his independence.

“Think of this as vacation, then,” you offered, noticing the internal fight in his thoughts. “Just… have some reasonable fun, but don’t get in any trouble.”

He frowned. “And that somehow involves listening to your orders?”

“Dude, you’re not my slave. We’re just two unlucky assholes tied together with this,” You waved your bracelet.

“We could get rid of it,” he said hopefully.

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy if both Strange and Stark worked on it, especially having you in mind,” sadly, you had to cool his enthusiasm down.

Loki groaned with irritation, leaning back on the couch hopelessly. “This must be the stupidest idea Thor ever came up with.”

“Survive these few days and you can rub it in his face.”

“Is that a challenge? That sounded like a challenge,” he raised an eyebrow.

“If that’s what will keep you in check, yes. Totally.”

Despite himself, Loki let out a small laugh. His situation was far from what he wished it was, but at least he wouldn’t be bored to death by his companion in misery. Vacation, you said? No war, no politics, no being used as a weapon by somebody else? Alright, that he could do…

Peter came back with his phone ready to film.

“Alright, Mr. Mischief, how do you feel about doing that sparkles-thing again? ‘Cause it looked super-cool and my friend Ned would die to see it!”

…but he never agreed to a kid.


	6. Chapter 6

The day was bright and full of terrors. 

Loki's breath was hard and strained. With barely any strength left in his body, all he could manage was a look heavy with silent threats. It was not enough. 

"Please, please, Mr. Mischief! Just once more!" Peter's eyes were huge and begging. He was on his knees, holding his phone ready to record. 

You elbowed Loki's side with a huge grin. "Come on, Mr. Mischief, make them sparkly fingers for the kid." 

"Have you ever heard of proper grammar?" Loki asked quietly. Anything louder was too much for him. 

"Nah, we don't do that here. Come on, cheer the kid up." 

"I told you already that I'm not some kind of a cheap magician. I don't entertain children. I am a Prince-" 

"Of course you're not cheap, we don't pay you at all. Come on, it's either the sparkly green mist again, or you take a look at that project." 

Loki frowned. The confusion made him forget about his mental exhaustion for a moment. 

"I don’t recall the moment when I agreed to that. I thought this young man came seeking **your** help." 

"I absolutely suck at chemistry," you shrugged without a hint of shame.

Peter nodded. 

"And I'm not even exaggerating when I say any one of the regulars from this tower would be more help." 

Peter nodded vigorously. 

Loki moved his eyes from you to Peter and back again with utter disbelief. He felt played in a game he wasn't even aware he was in, and he did not like how it felt. He was used to being on the other side. 

"I'm not doing anyone's homework, for the love of-" 

You sighed sadly, turning to Peter. "I told you he's too dumb. Two thousand years old and he still can't do basic chem…" 

"FIVE thousand, I'm not a child." Gritted teeth made his words a growl. 

"Damn, five thousand and you still can't help this kid? Look at him, he's basically in kindergarten, and you're gonna leave him on his own? That's not even sad. That's pathetic." 

Peter moved a little farther away. Despite the bracelet countering Loki's magic, the air around him suddenly grew very chilly. 

His phone was at the ready. Just in case. 

"Did you just call me pathetic?" 

The god's voice was calm and very sweet. Peter backed a little more. The video had already started. This was way better than chemistry project. Besides, who cares about chemistry when you can witness teasing of a living Nordic God? 

He could handle one F in a semester. 

"Me?" you touched your heart with utter surprise on your face. "Honey, I would never!" 

The living room became very still, as if in anticipation of unstoppable violence. The past few hours, since Peter entered the tower, had been leading to this point. 

They were filled with excitement on his side, annoyance and suspicion on Loki's, and shameless teasing on yours. He should have known it was bound to explode at one point. 

A part of him could probably feel it was coming, and that's what made all the waiting more exciting and kept Peter vigilant at all times. 

For security reasons, it would probably be unwise to post any of the recordings publicly, but at least he could share them with Ned. 

His stomach growled loudly. 

You raised an eyebrow, taking your eyes off Loki for a moment. The tension between him and you was thick enough to cut through. 

Thinking that made Peter even more hungry. He'd kill for a thick cheese pizza. 

"Don't mind me," he muttered quickly, but his face reddened anyway. 

"Peter, sweetie, if I let you go home hungry, your aunt will hang my insides over the chimney." With that said, you turned back to Loki. His anger was still chilling, but you ignored it. "Sorry, Mr. Mischief, we have to finish this another time. I've got a kid to feed." 

A muscle tightened in Loki's jaw dangerously as you rose from the couch. "Can't the child take care of themselves without your assistance?" 

You gasped dramatically. "You refuse to help him with homework, you deny his pleas for having some fun, and now you won't even let me feed him? I don't know about you being a hero, but you'd be a terrible parent." 

Loki's patience was about to snap. This whole situation was growing more ridiculous with every passing minute. He wasn't sure how much longer he could withstand the urge to open the nearest window and jump. 

Using doors would be much more reasonable, but he was certain you'd have a few objections about that, as already proven. 

He never thought being a hero required such tremendous amounts of patience and self-preservation. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, Loki started to wonder what your intention was with all those arguments and teasing, all done so seemingly innocently, and yet hitting exactly where you want it to? Was it some kind of a test? 

That would actually make some sense in light of your pompous talk about righting past wrongs and becoming a better person despite the odds. Was that your way of testing if he would fulfill his promise? 

That had a semblance of logic, but he was yet to grasp your intentions fully, let alone understand them. Well, whether he liked it or not, it looked like he'd have all the time in the world for that. 

Loki's future didn't look very bright. 


	7. Chapter 7

Alright.

Chemistry wasn’t as different from asgardian alchemy as Loki had worried. The occasional differences were subtle, but with enough questions to the young boy, he grasped the general idea behind his project fairly quickly.

He still wasn’t exactly sure how you manipulated him into doing this, and that alone proved to be impressive. Annoying, but impressive anyway.

He glanced at you over the loose pages and notebooks scattered on the table. The cards had been discarded to the corner of the table. Peter kept on talking, buzzing with energy and questions, but Loki only listened to him partly.

You picked up the phone and called what you promised was a fine restaurant, but the look on the boy’s face didn’t really do much to convince Loki. With all due respect, the boy didn’t seem the type to enjoy meals in fancy restaurants. It was only rational Loki would eavesdrop on your phone conversation eagerly in that case. It wasn’t even a proper eavesdropping since the matter discussed actually regarded him too. Right?

“Yeah, yeah, and add some extra cheese and veggies for the boy, he’s still growing. As for the third one, I don’t know, wait a minute,” you took the phone from your ear and cooed sweetly to Loki, “My most scrumptious boy, what do you desire? Pepperoni or some extra hot chilli?“

His brain refused to acknowledge what he heard.

You rolled your eyes, getting back to the phone. "I guess pepperoni it is, he doesn’t really seem the garlic or chilli type. Yeah, and all the sauces. Thanks, sweetie."

Loki closed his eyes. Counting to ten didn’t help. Peter’s questions didn’t help either.

"Mr. Mischief, sir, are you okay?” the boy was leaning towards him, trying to read anything from his face with a look of worry on his own.

“I’m afraid I’m having an identity crisis,” Loki muttered under his breath, so quietly the boy thankfully didn’t catch it.

You heaved onto the couch next to Loki, perching your feet on the table.

“It should be here in like 20 minutes, boys,” you said with a proud smile, ignoring the complete puzzlement on Loki’s face. “Is that okay?"

Peter was more than happy. A huge grin almost split his face in two. Who wouldn’t like free pizza?

Loki seemed impassive at best. You patted his shoulder.

"What’s the matter, sweetie? You okay?"

He closed his eyes. He felt very tired. He was only 5 thousand years old, but he felt the burden of every single one of them as if it were crushing him.

"What’s with all those stupid names? Why do you insist on making my life so miserable?"

"I use them to make your life less miserable."

"It’s not working."

"It’s not the right dose yet."

Loki scoffed. "Any more will be lethal."

"At least it will end your misery,” you shot him your brightest smile.

Peter discreetly excused himself to the restroom. He felt like Mr. God needed a breather. Or maybe to finally snap? He seemed really tense, despite acting calm and composed on the surface, but that was probably because of all the godlike business. You seemed to work really well with him, though, despite your unpredictable personality.

He needed to call Ned.

You, on the other hand, shamelessly marveled at the rapidly changing colors on Loki’s face. Even when he was a hair’s width from snapping, he seemed to push himself back with some inhuman effort, and contain his emotions.

“That’s unhealthy, you know?” you said. “You should let go of your anger instead of bottling it up. I’ve heard it’s really bad for digestion."

He needed a nap. A good, long nap that would wake him from this nightmare of a day.

"My health is just fine, thank you very much."

"Don’t lie. You’ve been wanting to strangle me since the very moment we put these friendship bracelets on."

Or maybe he wanted a knife. All the knives on him had been taken after he was captured.

Loki turned on the couch to face you properly. He had a feeling the conversation he was about to start required proper, polite, and professional eye contact.

Until then he didn’t even realise how close you were sitting. Well, it wasn’t like you had much of a choice, the couch wasn’t that big.

You had nice eyes, currently fixed on his with, oh sweet irony, a polite curiosity. Loki had almost forgotten that some people were still capable of looking at him without disgust or anger because of all the problems and death he brought on Earth.

You cocked your head to the side. "You sure you’re okay?"

Loki took a breath. It was time for some witty response. Something to relieve the sudden tension wrapped around him like a cloak two sizes too small. He wasn’t sure if he felt hot or cold, but he felt a lot of it.

He couldn’t find anything cheeky to say.

"I’m good."

What a lame answer.

Thankfully, you broke the tension first. You stretched your legs, still wearing the baggy sweatpants. You glanced at the window, and at the sun bathing the room in the warm evening.

"So, how’s that project going?” you asked Peter when he entered the room again.

He gestured widely to the messy notes on the table.

“Actually… I think I’m done with it. Mr. Loki helped me through the worst part and now all that’s left is putting it all together before tomorrow’s Chem. Once again, thank you so much, sir, it was such a pleasure working with you-"

You groaned. "Peter, you’re sweetening so much I can feel myself developing diabetes. Look, it was a pleasure to him too. He’s happy,” you patted Loki’s shoulder.

Loki wouldn’t use those exact words. It wasn’t a nuisance, but pleasure was too big of a word…

Peter cracked half a smile, looking carefully from Loki to you and back. “Well, that's… good, right? Better than… roaming through New York and all…?"

It was Loki’s time to roll his eyes. Crossing his arms, he set his back straight, the tension clenching his muscles as if preparing for a fight.

"Look,” he said sternly. “I’m not going to become one of your great superheroes, no matter how many mundane activities you tie me in-”

You snorted halfway through his declaration, badly covering it up as a cough. Loki sent you a confused look.

“Dude,” you laughed out. “Who said anything about becoming a hero? It’s not a fairytale, there’s no good way or bad way - there’s your way. Just don’t be an asshole and we’re good."

"That's… one way of putting it,” Loki admitted, carefully thinking it through. “And I must admit it sounds rather encouraging, despite the obvious simplifications. So what would you, in your great wisdom, suggest now?"

The panel at the back of the kitchen flashed, signaling someone was on their way to that floor. You smiled.

"I suggest pizza time." 


	8. Chapter 8

The worst part of having a kid is sending them to bed.

It’s a surprisingly universal truth, that applies for children completely unrelated to you too. If a child ever happens to be in your vicinity enough to become your (even brief) responsibility, you can be sure that that universal truth applies to them too.

“Peter,” you groaned, holding a belching off. “Your aunt is going to murder me.”

Peter, in a very similar, if not even more stuffed, state, let out a dismissive whimper, not bothering to move.

Loki just laid on the couch next to you, solemnly promising himself that was the first, and last pizza he would ever consume.

“Peteeer,” you whined louder, with your right foot digging its way into the boy’s stomach. “I’m serious.”

The sun was barely visible over the slim buildings of New York. The sky was broad and painted with sweeps of dark blues, oranges, and reds. Even without a clock in hand you could tell the day was about to end.

Aunt May had very strict rules about coming home late, and even stricter about those who stood in her boy’s way home.

The amount of energy consumed by making your head turn to face Peter’s was ungodly. Your stomach groaned deeply in protest. You felt as if you had swallowed a ball and that ball didn’t enjoy being swallowed.

“Peter, you know I love you unconditionally, but I can’t drive you home today, because of reasons,” you nudged the reason next to you, making it protest half-heartedly, “and that means it’s gonna take you a moment to get home. You better start rolling down the stairs already.”

Peter managed to open his eyes. He looked at his limpless body stretched on the couch doubtfully. “If I take the elevator, I’m gonna throw up.”

“Use the stairs.”

“We’re on the 25th floor.”

“Good luck on your journey. Don’t forget your notes.”

With a lot of mumbling and whining, the boy managed to collect all of his belongings scattered around the large room. He had some trouble moving with his usual swiftness, but as far as you were concerned, he found all items belonging to him.

Goodbyes took longer than you’d prefer them to, and judging by the expression on his face, so felt Loki. It was a nice sight, though. Loki visibly struggled in the boy’s tight hug, but was nice enough not to mention it. You considered it a step in a good direction. (Next would be having brunch, but that could wait a moment. After pizza-time, none of you really held any desire for additional food in the near future.)

Once the boy left, you let out a deep sigh, melting farther into the couch. Loki didn’t bother moving, so you ended up with his elbow buried in your side.

“Move that arm yourself, or I’m gonna do it for you,” you promised with the faint echo of a threat.

Loki didn’t seem bothered. “You can’t even move a finger right now.”

“Neither can you. I didn’t know nordic gods could get so stuffed.”

“Usually they aren’t forced to consume so much against their will.”

“I never forced you.”

“Right, you only called it a challenge, my bad.”

Loki apologized with his eyes closed. Hands neatly crossed over his chest, and legs stretched over the table; he looked peaceful, if not even serene.

Crumbs over his leather armor he refused to take off and the general disarray of the pizza and chicken nugget boxes over the table, couch, and floor around didn’t do much to destroy the peaceful aura that seemed to surround him. It wasn’t simply caused by anything he did, or said, or wore. It seemed to radiate from within him when he wasn’t looking or carefully arranging the tough mask of his persona. At times like this, he seemed almost happy.

Loki opened his eyes, as if he somehow felt your gaze lingering over his features. The dying light of the day was weak enough to play tricks on your mind. In light like this, the green of his eyes seemed almost warm. In light like this, the shadows separating you seemed almost nonexistent.

Close enough to feel the warmth of his arm, you felt comfortable. If one called it a surprise, it would be a pleasant one.

Close enough to feel the rise and fall of your chest, Loki found himself not minding it. If one called it a surprise, it’d be a welcomed one.

Your hand rose.

He leaned closer.

A fingertip booped his nose, making him jolt in surprise. He blinked, his senses coming back in a rush.

“You gonna eat that pizza?” you motioned to the last two slices. “We’ve got the extra spicy sauce left, since Peter refused to even look at it.”

Loki blinked, gathering himself, and raised an eyebrow. “The one he promised ‘melts the gums off your teeth’? No, thanks.”

“Coward.”

“You’re childish.”

“At least I’m not a coward,” you opened the box and poured the creamy sauce thick over the slices.

His eyes rolled back. He should start getting used to that gesture in your presence, but it proved not to be so easy.

Skeptical, he observed your actions.

“Give me one good reason to do it,” he asked with a detachment in his voice that might have been confused with resignation, if one didn’t listen closely.

“To have fun. You seem to be in dire need of it,” you stated with a shrug. If one did listen carefully enough, it would resonate with high observation skills peeking through the surface.

Loki didn’t listen closely. His focus was centered around the thick layer of doom. As a god, he was invulnerable to most mortal weapons and threats, which came in handy during fights or battles. As far as he was concerned, it also extended to most commonly used toxins.

Your smile was wicked. The fire in your eyes - challenging.

“No,” said Loki.

“Chicken. It’s just a sauce.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Alright, so sit back and watch a childish mortal prove more brave than your godly self.”

“Now you’re aiming at my ego.”

“It’s a huge target and I’m a terrible shooter. Can you blame me?”

Despite himself, he couldn’t prevent a smile from shadowing over his lips. This whole day proved to be the exact opposite of what he’d expected coming to Earth in shackles, and he was happy about it. To be honest, he didn’t expect it to be so… calm? Unthreatening? Despite himself, Loki felt comfortable.

He couldn’t remember the last time he was able to simply exist, with no power crushing his will or guilt tripping him into obedience. He didn’t have to think through every word coming out of his mouth, he didn’t have to look out for cunning enemies observing his every step. No politics, no war, no trials.

For the fleeting moment (after all, what was a day to a being thousands of years old?) he could simply be Loki. Not Loki the Prince of Asgard, and certainly not Loki the Traitor.

Loki, the being in dire need of having fun, took one pizza slice and smiled the most wicked and honest smile he had in months.

“I dare you to take more than three bites,” he teased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my absolute favourite chapter to write so far.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting last week, I had a hard time.  
> Please tell me what do you think of the story! I love reading your comments!

The bright morning sun punished you for yesterday’s laziness, burning in your eyes at around 7am.

Sure, you could have gone back to your room to spend the night the proper way, but that involved its fair share of walking, and after the pizza disaster (that involved large amounts of water gulped down), walking just wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

Another problem, and one that you never anticipated, was the lack of rooms suitable for Loki.

Technically, Stark Tower was full of spare rooms, but you had no idea which ones those were, and on what floor you’d find them. Checking every single one of them, and then finding one that included a bed and met Loki’s standards (of which he didn’t fail to inform you), wasn’t exactly in your pay grade. Therefore, you decided to distract him long enough for the delicate subject to pass.

It worked all too well as you noticed the next morning, hesitantly waking up on the couch, drooling on Loki’s leathered arm.

It was probably for the best he didn’t bother taking it off before falling asleep. You weren’t an expert, but from the look of it, the leather seemed to be thick, but elastic enough not to restrain movement and, apparently, comfortable enough to allow sleeping. Its biggest strength laid in not letting your drool any overly visible stain once you brushed it off with a sleeve, though.

Life always feels a little different around 6am. No matter how often you punish yourself by waking up at that hour, there’s no true getting used to it. The world seems a little lonelier and the discarded pizza boxes glower sorrowfully instead of just being empty.

It’s a strange world to live in and being a part of it is even stranger. Something seems to live at the back of your head, crawling its way through the lazy, waking thoughts, almost formed, but still confusing.

In that state stuck in between all states, it took you a long moment to remember who or where you were, and a second one to understand what the faint sound you heard meant. Somewhere around, probably buried under the piles of things that gathered yesterday during the night marathon, was your phone that just stopped ringing. It may have played a hand in waking you up.

Loki stirred next to you, probably woken by your rapid, uncoordinated movements. He squinted as the sun hit his eyes too and muttered what sounded like a curse under his breath.

It was truly a heart-warming experience to see him struggle to consciousness just as much as you did. For a moment you wondered if he, being a god (even a rather domesticated type), would be immune to the wonders of staying up too late, but it seemed to affect him just as much.

The curtains over the huge windows making one of the rooms’ walls were not drawn for the night, so the morning sun established dominance over every surface it could reach.

It uncovered all of the mess littering the living room with such ferocity it surely would make you embarrassed were you not too tired to care. Besides, it was not like Stark and his merry crew of world-fixers would be back anytime soon, so you still had plenty of time to sort through and clean it up.

Face contorted in pure disgust, Loki tasted the foul aftertaste in his mouth. It was a shock to find none of his teeth were missing yet.

“I absolutely hate you,” he stated with the calm sureness of a man dying from thirst.

You found a bottle by your side of the couch and emptied it. The memories of the hellish sauce still dwelled in your mouth too. “That’s fair.”

He carefully stretched his legs, groaning when the loud cracking sound violated the morning silence. The expensive couch (as everything picked by Tony) looked nice to the eye, was skillfully produced, but not the most comfortable to sleep on, which wasn’t generous to your back.

Covering a yawn that almost broke your jaw was a difficult task, but Loki didn’t seem to mind. He looked annoyingly fresh.

You nudged his side.

“So, what did you think about your first night on Earth?”

“Would’ve been better if you didn’t snore.”

“You break my heart.”

“I highly doubt you have one, unless you stole it. At least you don’t drool, I guess.”

“Of course I don’t. I’m surprised you didn’t sneak out and run away, though.”

“That would be unreasonable,” he shrugged it off.

And unnecessary, but that he wouldn’t admit openly. He still wasn’t sure how exactly the bracelet around his wrist would get in his way, and for now, he decided to leave that matter alone. For now, Loki decided to enjoy your (rather dangerous) hospitality and see how his future unfolded once the heroes came back.

You started going through the mess on the table. You had a faint memory of leaving your phone somewhere around there, but the remains of various activities of the previous day and night piled up over it.

Loki sighed when you moved empty boxes onto his lap to investigate the mess further. “Might I ask the reason for this invaluable performance?”

“I think I heard my phone.”

“And who would decide to interrupt such a lovely morning?”

“That’s the part I’m curious about.”

You found it when you had almost run out of hope and decided it must have been a part of a dream. It had a stain of what looked like that hellish sauce over the screen.

“Oh, it’s Peter,” you noticed with a hint of surprise.

The smile died on your face when you saw 8 unanswered calls. The phone was set on vibrate; it was a miracle you heard it at all.

Loki froze when he noticed your expression and paleness as you dialed the boy back.

“Is everything okay?” he asked quietly, carelessly throwing the boxes to the floor.

“He’d text if it wasn’t something big,” you almost whispered, setting the phone to the speaker.

The voice on the other side was muffled, the harsh static making it almost unrecognizable. Someone screamed in the background.

“Hey, uhhh, I’m sorry I called so early but I think we’ve got some bad aliens in the park…”


	10. Chapter 10

Everything happened in a rush.

There was no coherent thought in your head as you shot through the corridor and into your room. There was no hesitation as you strapped the weapons to your belt and suit. The world around you was a blur dotted with mixed colors, but your hands didn’t shake as you got ready.

There was no thought, only instinct and muscle memory. If you allowed yourself to dwell on what you heard from the boy, your mind would spiral down a very steep path and would only slow your body.

The adrenaline buzzed through pulsing veins, breaths were more shallow than you preferred. It would not calm you down, but hopefully prevent you from going rampant and forgetting something useful.

Once you were ready, moments - eternity - too long - later, you allowed yourself a second of stillness. You could do it. No matter how many enemies came to New York this time, no matter how strong they were, you could stop them and any further bloodshed yourself. The boy said he was doing his best, but he could see the bodies already…

You turned around. Loki stood in the door to your room.

He took in the tension that held your muscles taut, pushing out any humor or carelessness. The golden time of jokes and harmless teasing passed, as all good things always do. It left only faint memories tinted in seconds of clarity and clouded emotions and a sense of a better side of life passing away beyond reach.

“This is the moment when you have to decide what path you want to take,” you said in a tight, almost breaking voice. “I can’t choose for you."

Loki looked at the metallic bracelets around your wrists.

"What’s going to happen once we leave the Tower?"

"I have no idea."

"But you’re doing it anyway."

"Yes."

There was no time to waste, but you allowed him to weigh the options.

He reached out to you. "Do you have any knives?"

He took the few spare ones you had and joined you running to the elevator.

The Tower’s exit made you stop.

It was a bright morning on the outside and what looked to be a good beginning of a nice day. And yet, between you and that day where the monsters rummaged the city, stood a simple set of glass doors.

Loki and you exchanged glances as the weight of the bracelets heaved on your wrists. They wouldn’t explode. Why would Stark or Strange want them to hurt you leaving the Tower, right? Maybe paralyse at best. That would make sense. Or maybe send an alarm to someone.

Right?

You licked your suddenly dry lips and stepped towards the exit, Loki close behind.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked, the same sort of worry that crawled through your insides, creeped into his voice too.

“No. But this is the only one I have."

Before you could think about it any further, you crossed the threshold.

The bracelet let out a strong buzz through your arm and a high-pitched shrieking note. The tiny light on one side of it turned alarmingly red, but… nothing else happened.

Loki nodded slightly, as if to himself and braced himself after you. His bracelet, and yours, reenacted the same sequence, but allowed you to leave.

You didn’t look back as you dived into the city. You ran through the streets, only beginning to get crowded. The few people wandering around jumped out of your way and you couldn’t blame them. In full battlesuit, with your weapons visible, and a well-known god a pace away, that sight would stay with pedestrians for a while.

The park Peter told you about was only two blocks away. The closer you were, the more fear you could see in people’s faces. Some were running away. Some had blood on their clothes.

Police sirens cut through the air.

The officers formed a line around the park entrance. That close, you could hear roars and smashing sounds.

You flew past them, your feet carrying you at the speed of light. Some shots were fired, but where-

Something broad crashed into your guts from the side, throwing you to the left.

The ground hit you hard. Your elbow screamed with pain. You rolled with the power of the strike, the air kicked from your lungs.

You pushed yourself to your knees just in time to see the strange, massive creature sprinting your way on four too long legs. It had a bone white structure on its head, perfect for slamming into whatever crossed its path.

You put three bullets in it, but the creature didn’t even slow. You jumped right as it neared you. You put two more in its side, but to no effect.

The creature turned, its side bleeding a dense and oily black substance, and fixed two sets of very small, very evil eyes on you.

The gun deemed useless, you took out a long, hunting knife. It was good steel, hardened and sharp, and thirsty for blood, no matter the color.

The creature took a step forward, building speed to-

A huge concrete block slammed into it, burying it deep. An inhumane shriek sounded and ended abruptly.

Peter jumped to you, his webs hanging from a lamp. His suit was torn and dusty, and his hands were shaking, but whether from pain or adrenaline, you couldn’t tell. His head was constantly turning around, his body never still, panic sweating through his pores.

"Oh god, we have a serious problem.”


	11. Chapter 11

The relief exploded in your heart. It felt as if you’d been holding your breath since that morning call shattered the illusion of safety you’d woven around yourself.

You spared the surroundings only a brief glare to make sure nothing would attack you in the next 5 seconds, and yanked Peter to you, closing him in a tight, bone-crushing embrace. You tried to put into words all the tangled emotions you felt, the relief, happiness, and that chest-tightening anxiety that only now seemed to release its grip on your heart, but no words seemed big enough to contain the strange, unfamiliar mixture.

You wished you could hold on to that moment, and relive it again and again, until all the fear and anxiety was only a faded memory of things long gone.

Loki swiped the dark, retching blood off his face. The very thought of his skin coming in contact with it made his guts twist in disgust. There was something wrong with those creatures, as if they were rotting while still alive. His mind was producing a faint memory of something he’d heard about a long time ago, but now wasn’t really the time to dwell on that, there were too many of them roaming around the park.

He was glad he had your knives, even though nothing could compare to the best, refined Asgardian steel and the subtle curve of the blade that only the adepts of the northern tribes mastered crafting. Everything else seemed too heavy and simple in his hand, but who would he be if he couldn’t get past that?

He glanced at you, still holding a hand on Peter’s shoulder, as if afraid he would disappear any minute or be taken from you. Loki wasn’t afraid to address your worry, because he’d seen the moment the walls around you shattered when the kid called for help. It was fear, as simple as that; something Loki knew a good deal about.

He came closer to where you stood, keeping a cautious eye on the park. It was a big one, and surrounded by a high brick wall, that for some time would stop the creatures from running into the city. The only entrance he could see was covered by armed officers shooting at anything that came too close. It wouldn’t last forever, though. Especially since none of them seemed brave enough to venture into the park.

The few creatures in his eyesight were still far away, slow, but tense and ready to jump at anyone’s throat.

“I have no idea what happened,” Peter explained, his voice hoarse and strained. “I was going to Ned’s to talk about our project before class, and I just heard screams and next thing I knew, I was at this park and it was full of monsters-…"

"Peter, breathe. Are there any more civilians in the park?” you turned his ever moving head to face you.

“I don’t know. I tried to take everyone to safety, but had to fight the monsters at the same time…"

Your eyes turned to Loki’s.

"Are you in?"

Your words were simple, but he knew better than to overlook the meaning behind them. There was more blood to spill and you had to know if your back would be covered.

He looked at his hands.

"I’m already dirty. Why not."

Your bright smile lit up the dark and gloom that seemed to take a hold of you since that morning call. It was for a fleeting moment, but it was a good sign. One he was happy to notice.

The air was torn with yet another scream, but this one far closer.

You moved swiftly, locating a few people herded in a tight group, slowly walking from 4 creatures creeping their way to them.

You run through a wide, wooden bridge over a small river. The draught dried its banks into a narrow stream. Behind you, Loki kept up the pace. His presence felt reassuring.

It wasn’t a long run, you would get to those people in just a few moments. Peter was already swinging high above your head. You prayed silently for the people not to move, and certainly not to run. Predators were attracted to running prey, and if they were already scenting the fear…

They panicked. They ran, scattering.

You shouted, whether a curse or a warning you weren’t sure. The creatures dove after the fleeing people, getting closer with each leap of too-long massive legs-

Loki threw a knife. It went through a creature’s skull. Its legs buckled and gave way. Peter snatched the person it was running after, just a few paces away from the beasts’ jaws.

"Take them all to safety,” you shouted to Peter loud enough to be heard over the wild howls and screams.

You still had your gun on you, so you used it to get the creatures’ attention. The bullets were too small to cause them any real harm, but painful enough to make them stop and focus on you. Good. Peter needed time to pick up all those people and steer them to safety.

Loki fought to your right as the creatures fell upon you. More gathered, but he didn’t know where they were coming from. They didn’t belong to this world, he was sure of that, but couldn’t see any breach on his way through the park. Could someone have summoned them?

Oily blood spilled as he pushed the blade deep into the side of a creature’s skull, just beneath the bulging mass of bone in the front. He almost broke the blade when it slipped over it a moment ago. He wished that damned bracelet didn’t block his magic.

He threw the corpse at another creature, slowing it down. You noticed the chance, jumping on it and striking a finishing blow.

It was surprisingly pleasant to see you fight alongside him. You switched easily from gun to knives, and even with the little strength the mortals possessed, you made it up with swiftness and sureness of movement.

Attacking the beasts from the front was dangerous, because the heads were too well protected, but you waited for the creature to start running, and slipped to the side at the last moment, striking deep through the side. The grass grew slippery, but you had to hold your position as long as you could.

You could see Peter shepherding the panicked people to safety. He needed the diversion Loki and you were providing. At that side of the park, there weren’t enough trees or lamps for him to hold anyone and swing with them. He was stuck to running, and holding the injured, shouting at them to move, younger than most of them, but burdened with too heavy a responsibility nonetheless.

Your feet buckled at the wooden panels of the wide bridge behind you. Loki was somewhere to your right, a blur of colors, flanking you so you could focus only on your side.

The beasts growled, their tiny eyes flashing with primal hunger and viciousness. With two pairs of them, their eyes darted this way and that, never stopping and making it impossible to predict their movements. You had two of them to your left, slowly building up to jump, the powerful muscles in their legs buckling. They hunted like a pack, you realized, more intelligent than-

Loki threw a corpse in your direction carelessly, out of his way. Despite yourself, you cast a quick glance over there and-

It had risen, the gash on its side long, and leaped through the air.

You only had enough time to back a step before you hit the bridge’s railings. The hit knocked the breath out of your chest as you were pushed over the edge and into the water, teeth snapping at your face.


	12. Chapter 12

Impossibly wide jaws bit the air in front of your face. The rotten breath hit you right before your back met with the water.

  
The air was torn from your lungs. The world blurred and blackened. Something hit you in the stomach, but caged under the surface, you didn’t see what.

  
The river was shallow; the rocks at the bottom stabbed into your back.

  
The beast fell on top of you, for a moment still in shock after the fall. You kicked it off, hard, even though every move made your body scream. You desperately needed air.

The crushing weight disappeared for a moment, long enough for you to emerge from the water and let the air fill your lungs again. Never before had it felt so fresh and sweet.

  
The bone-crushing cough bent you in half. The water was shallow enough for you to get on your knees, but you could already see the monster getting up and ready to jump. Your hand reached for the knife-…

  
There was no knife.

  
It must have fallen into the river with you.

  
The beast jumped, long talons stretched out.

  
You slammed a huge rock, the first thing your hand found, into its head. It was slippery and fell from your fingers from the impact. It was a good hit, but not strong enough to crush the bone structure protecting the beast’s head. It left it stunned, but not dead yet, despite the long gash on its side from Loki’s blade.

  
As you scrambled to your feet, the world was both blurry and too vivid before your eyes. The riverbank was close, though. You could make it in time. You had to get out, for the river was too unsafe and unstable.

  
Moments earlier, Loki saw the monster he thought dead get up and run at you. It was a foolish mistake, born from adrenaline and too many enemies closing in. He should have checked. He should have finished it off. Should have been more careful. Humans, as he knew, were far more fragile than beasts.

  
Guilt and terror- something he hadn’t felt since his slavery at Thanos’ hands - caught his breath as he saw you fall over the bridge. Despite the fervor of battle, a surprising clarity allowed him to notice too many details about it that would be lost under any other circumstances.

  
The surprise on your face was understandable - why should you have expected the attack from the side Loki was supposed to cover for you?

  
The claws reaching out at your side, and slashing it with too much ease.

  
The massive jaws almost biting your face off - and your desperate jump back in order to avoid them.

  
You fell, and the nightmare fell with you.

  
There was no scream. The beast snarled viciously, but the sound seemed unimportant at the moment. The sound couldn’t bring harm - but the body did. It slammed into you, and Loki felt the impact in his own bones. He wanted to run, to reach out, to be there in time to pull you back, but the remaining monsters noticed his distraction and closed in on him again.

  
He kicked at a head aiming at his legs. It hurt, but didn’t crack any bones. A major injury was the last thing he needed right now.

  
Loki dared glance at where Peter tended to the civilians. They seemed gone, hopefully to safety, and far enough for the monsters to forget about them. Good. The kid shouldn’t be forced to risk his life like that.

  
Loki wished he had his magic and didn’t have to fight like a mortal. He wished for his fire that would burn the ground to ash and leave nothing behind in its wake. Or for his spear, such a marvelous, perfectly balanced weapon, always thirsty for blood.

  
But Loki, currently having the weirdest two days of his life, was stuck with a plain hunting knife, slick with gore and sweat, and left almost on his own, surrounded by enemies.

  
‘Almost’, because he was fairly certain you wouldn’t die that easily. It was still a possibility, but something deep inside of him was sure he wouldn’t free himself of you that easily.

  
He looked around, slowly backing towards the riverbank, and keeping a keen eye on the circling beasts. They were awful creatures, anatomically awkward, but still lethal, forged under conditions of a world completely different from any he’d seen.

  
He chuckled. Despite the few grazes marking his arms, and bruises pulsing with pain, Loki felt more alive and free than he had in a very long time.

  
“Who wants to die first?” he asked.

  
The beasts jumped from opposite sides of him, apparently too impatient to form a proper queue.

  
Loki obeyed, leaning back and slashing one too sure of its jump. He moved away from another, and brought the blade deep into the flesh. He wished he had his second knife, but it was long lost in one of the bodies laying around. He briefly wondered how mad you’d be if he lost it.

  
Loki plowed his way through the monsters, slashing, pushing aside, and moving out of their way while slowly backing to the river. He had to make sure you-

  
You slammed into him, your head colliding hard with his chin.

  
Behind you, a chaos of bloodied teeth.

  
Loki threw you aside, and let the monster knock him to the ground.

  
The knife was eager to be buried in warm flesh, but not strong enough to withstand the clenching muscles as the beats thrashed uncontrollably from pain and shock.

  
You kicked it off Loki, cursing as your foot collided with an impossibly hard body, dead at long last.

  
“Get up, princess,” you rasped, your eyes already on the never-ending stream of monsters. With fingers cold and stiff, you fished for the long blades in your boots. You always had a few spare ones, just in case the usual guns and bullets didn’t do the job.

  
Loki smirked, despite the blood and dirt covering his suit. His chin tickled more with a faint memory than real pain.

  
“What, you need to run into me from a different direction?"

  
You threw him one of the blades, turning your back to his.

  
"Yeah, maybe this time will teach you not to throw me into a damn river."

  
"I didn’t even touch you!"

  
The grass was slick under your boots. You were freezing, and only the constant movement with which you fended off the most impatient monsters was keeping you up.

  
"I should probably thank some REAL gods I didn’t break my neck,” you said.

  
Loki should get angry, but the truth was, he knew what you were doing. Keeping his mind occupied, so he wouldn’t notice that no matter how many monsters you killed, there was a constant stream of new ones coming, which didn’t bid well for his or your future.

  
You were sore and tired, and could already feel your reflexes slowing down. And Loki without his magic was still an amazing fighter, his skills making your jealousy flare anytime you caught his moves, but there was a certain limit of what two people can achieve on their own, surrounded by a flock of enemies. The humor was the only thing you had to offer. With it, the prospect of dying seemed a little easier, a little more bearable.

  
“I’m a terrible babysitter, aren’t I?” you laughed; the sound alien to the blood and gore around you.

  
“The absolute worst,” Loki admitted, his hand shaking just for a fraction of a moment. He assessed his options. If he managed to break through the line on the left, and throw you there, keeping the monsters’ focus on himself, maybe you could run far enough to-

  
“Do you think if we had met under different circumstances, we could become friends?"

  
His gaze darted to your face, alert and tight.

  
"No way. You snore too loud."

  
A chuckle escaped your pale lips. And just as he braced himself to do what seemed right, a beast was thrown back with a deafening cry of agony. And then another one. And more of them.

  
The air buzzed with shock as Loki and you looked behind you, the beasts scattering and snarling at the newcomers. The solid, iron nets flew high, catching the thrashing bodies. Machine guns plowed through the others, ripping them almost in half.

  
You didn’t know the men that came, but right then, they made you the happiest you’d been in a long time.

  
Your mouth opened, readying to thank them.

  
A net flew right at you. The iron hit you hard, and darkness welcomed you at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please tell me what do you think abour the story. Comments always make motivated to continue, and make my days brighter. I've been in a hard place lately and I'm just constantly tired. I wish i could just get through this already.
> 
> P.s.I miss you, yeethawboi 😢 I hope you're okay.


	13. Chapter 13

After brief consideration, Loki decided that if there was ever a universal way of immediately obliterating one’s good mood, it would certainly involve getting tied, blindfolded, and kidnapped.

  
An iron net tied Loki with savage, brute force as he saw men nearing him right before the world turned dark. He shouted and cursed, but nothing made them halt as they threw him into what he supposed was a car. Loki felt the dim flickering of his magic pulling on the metal around his wrist. Hate flooded him as he imagined all the ways he would make those fools pay for what they did. And Stark too, with his unnerving ability to make Loki’s life miserable even when he was far away. Once Loki got free, he’d break that damned bracelet off his hand, whatever it took, and make Stark swallow the parts-…

  
Something heavy landed on him, forcefully emptying his lungs. It didn’t move and for a very surreal moment he wondered if it was a dead body. On that disastrous day, he wouldn’t even be that surprised.

  
Then he made out the familiar scent of a thoroughly wet body clad in fighting leathers, and decided that getting kidnapped together with you sounded much worse.

  
“Please tell me you’re not dead,” he whispered into the darkness of a thick fabric thrown over him.

  
A man’s voice from above warned him to shut up and kicked the words into Loki’s back for more effect. The door closed.

  
It was then that Loki decided a quick death wouldn’t suffice. He’d break those people’s legs into tiny pieces and make their owners pay for each second spent in that dusty container, whatever it was, and for the iron net cutting through his skin and bruising the already sore flesh. And for the stinky cloth over his head.

  
In the background, he heard faint voices of more people, some shouting orders, some probably shooting. Loki would understand more about his situation and surroundings if your very brief introduction to Earth’s culture ever involved being locked up in a car’s trunk.

  
Loki kicked the metal door, but with the net restraining his movements, all he managed was a dent. The car vibrated and moved, the voices quiet.

  
You woke up a few minutes later to the unmistakable swaying of a car and a headache erupting from the right side of your forehead. You didn’t remember getting into a car nor did you remember having your head ripped open, but there you were, restrained in the cold, wet darkness. The panic was slow to raise as the car heaved over the bumps in the road, and you used that little time to wriggle your way out of whatever restrained you.

  
A curse rippled through the stuffy darkness. “That was my leg."

  
A relieved sigh escaped your lips. "My absolute favourite god, please tell me why we are in a trunk?"

  
Sadly, Loki had no idea.

  
You tried to wriggle your way out of the net again, but to no avail. Whoever designed it, knew very well how to capture their prey. What a wild concept - you, captured like a wild animal, alongside with a living, breathing Nordic God. You wondered who would be arrogant enough to kidnap you.

  
As well as the monsters, whatever they were. You faintly remembered them being captured as well, right before you blacked out.

  
"How long was I out?” you asked into the dark.

  
“A few minutes. I didn’t even manage to have a break from your babbling."

  
Good. It meant you, probably, hopefully, didn’t receive any major brain damage.

  
You shivered, your cold and wet clothes doing little to warm you. You must have been a pleasure to lay next to, but Loki mercifully didn’t speak about you drenching him.

  
The car buckled, speeding through what must have been one of the main streets. You wished you could take a hold of your position, but you lost track of where you were being transported to a while ago. The only sounds you could hear above the car noises were faint male voices, probably sitting in the front. The words were too quiet to make out.

  
The trunk was too small for you to get rid of the old, dirty blanket, or maybe even a carpet someone covered you with. With every squirm you made, trying to uncover it and at last see anything, Loki grunted as various parts of your body jabbed his.

  
"Could you stop?” he at last lost patience, shoving you off his side the best he could in the limited space.

  
“Sorry for trying to get out,” you snarled.

  
“You’re not going to succeed this way-"

  
"Oh, so what is YOUR plan, o mighty god? I can’t see you doing anything about it, and it’s definitely not because of that stinky rag over us."

  
Ice-cold fury filled Loki’s veins. He did not like that tone.

  
"I’ve already tried, but it’s too tight to do anything now-"

  
"Can’t you just snap the net? Where is your super strength?"

  
"On vacation,” he snarled. “Have you forgotten about that damned thing around our wrists?"

  
"It’s for magic, not for muscles."

  
"Well, surprise, but I’m not a mortal. Magic is in my very essence and limiting my access to it prevents me from-"

  
A loud thud sounded behind your heads, startling you.

  
"Shut the fuck up,” shouted a male voice, muffled by the metal plate and car noises.

  
Growling like a wild animal was below your (already trampled) dignity, so you stopped at sending a nasty glare in the vague direction of the voice. Another thought struck you.

  
Animals. Monsters. Who would need both you and the monsters from the park? You couldn’t see, but you were sure some of the captured beasts were being transported as well. Thankfully, in another vehicle.

  
Your breath shifted as you thought about the park. Peter seemed to take all the people to a safe ground, and the police forces were already coming to the site. But with the Avengers far away on another mission, days from New York, and Loki and you being driven to some distant place, who was left to protect the city?

  
The police could surely make it, they had already faced so many supernatural threats in the past years, they were ready. Peter could make it too. He surely was far enough to be safe when those people came and kidnapped you. He would be fine. Right?

  
You had to get out. You didn’t really care what would happen to you, but you had to make sure Peter was fine and safe.

  
During the long years before Stark offered you a place in the Avengers, you’d taken enough dangerous jobs to be thrown at many unfortunate situations. Technically, it wasn’t something worth bragging about but it surely gave you the advantage of priceless experience.

  
No matter how well prepared those guys were, they were only people - and people make mistakes. Sometimes on their own, and sometimes thanks to some subtle help.

  
“You’re surprisingly quiet,” Loki noticed after a while.

  
“I was just overwhelmed by the happiness of getting kidnapped with you. What’s a better way of getting to know each other than risking our lives together?"

  
"I wish they took me alone. I won’t survive another day with you."

  
"Don’t worry, if they kill us, you won’t have to."

  
Loki sighed. "Why are you like this?"

  
"Honestly, I think it all started back when I was in kindergarten and-"

  
The car stopped. The engine died, surrounding you with such a deep silence, that for a moment you forgot about your dramatic and tearful story.

  
The trunk opened and strong hands pulled you out with very little gentleness. With even less of it, you were dragged through what felt like a few rooms, and finally met your destination. The dirty rug over your face was ripped off. Light blinded you for a moment, but you managed to notice you were in some sort of a warehouse, with a light bulb high up in a space free of any items except for two metal chairs.

  
Men pushed you towards one of them. One of them leaned in to loosen the net around you. You waited patiently, letting them believe you were more dazed than in reality.

  
The moment your legs came free, you kicked one of the men on the side of the head. He fell, but you didn’t look how stunned he was. Your head collided with whoever decided holding you from the back was a good idea. Loud curses told you he would rethink that.

  
The last bits of the net came loose as you wriggled your arms out of it and rushed to-

  
The world swayed and hit you with the floor. A billion tiny needles punctured your body as the electricity mercilessly rampaged through your every muscle, wave after wave after wave.

  
"We need them both alive!"

  
You couldn’t see who shouted that, but it made the pain stop. Your body slumped despite your will. Someone heaved you onto the chair and chained your limbs. More people, some with masks, entered the empty room. One of them held the taser that still had its teeth sunk into you.

  
Loki claimed the seat next to you a few moments later. He didn’t look well. It was difficult to look at him. Colorful constellations were hovering before your eyes. Your vision was unstable.

  
The man with the taser stepped closer and assessed Loki and you. A wicked smile crossed his lips.

  
"Gentlemen, we’re gonna be rich.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter, please tell me what do you think. This series is getting less and less comments and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.


	14. Chapter 14

“I beg your pardon?” Loki blinked.

The man standing in front of you with a huge grin on his face looked like the leader of whatever this group was. He had a wide, unpleasant face and something in his eyes that said he was not joking.

“You, my precious darlings, are going to make me and my men very rich,” he repeated with grim satisfaction.

How lovely. 

“Well,” you felt obligated to notify him, “I admit I might have taken a few ballet classes in the past, but I seriously doubt it’s going to profit you much.”

His grin faltered.

“I’m going to sell you,” he explained slowly, as if speaking to a dim-witted child. “And that scum too.”

‘That scum’ felt insulted. He gasped, dramatically. He’d use hands for a greater effect, but they’d already been tied behind his back.

“I doubt that’s the right way to treat your most valuable stock,” he scolded the man.

“It’s bold of you to assume you’re more valuable than me,” you sneered.

“Oh, dear. I must’ve forgotten how those ballet classes influenced your price.”

The men stared dumbfounded between the two of you. This type of behavior was certainly not what they had expected and were used to, but the fault was on their side for not reading the manual before making a purchase. It would have allowed them to avoid the grave mistake of kidnapping both Loki and you at the same time.

“Are you guys serious?” the leader asked, his smile gone, hopefully forever. If anyone asked your opinion, he gave off very creepy vibes when he smiled. It was a relief to see a less intimidating expression on his face. It was not enough to make him pretty, but at least covered his yellowed teeth.

“Duh. But the real question is,” you narrowed your eyes. “Are you?”

He wanted to say something to that. He really did, from the looks of it. He must have been smarter than you originally gave him credit for, though, because after a moment of consideration, he came to a very bright conclusion that nothing he could say would make much of a difference.

He turned to his men and pointed at two of them. “You keep an eye on those idiots.”

And then he left, without any goodbye. What was even worse, he took the rest of his (probably underpaid) employees and left the warehouse, no doubt to take care of the rest of his shipping.

It was such a shame only two of his men were left. It was almost as if you were deemed unworthy of more supervision. You wondered how this could have happen. It was such a mystery.

“You truly are wicked,” Loki mused, something like amusement glinting in his eyes.

“Aww, thank you!”

“That was not a compliment. It was more of a reminder that the situation we are currently struggling with is a direct consequence of your poor decision-making.”

“That hurt my feelings.”

“You don’t look hurt.”

“I don’t have many feelings, so I guess it didn’t have much of an effect on me…”

One of the men left to keep an eye on you finally lost his patience.

He didn’t have many distinctive traits, and certainly not ones that could deem him as a comic villain, sadly. If anything, he was ordinary enough to be a perfect example of how much truth hides in the old saying of not judging a book by its cover. A real Joe Schmo.

“Can you two just stop?” he snapped. His friend sighed. “You are so annoying; I want to kill you myself!”

“I doubt it would get you the title of 'Employee of the month’, friend.”

He pointed a finger at you, with all the anger he could muster in his ordinary body.

“We are not friends, you don’t even have any idea who we are!”

Loki scoffed. How he managed to give off a nobility aura while still in shackles, was beyond your comprehension. “Of course we don’t know. None of you had enough manners to introduce yourselves.”

“My friend says you’re rude,” you explained in a dramatic whisper upon the man’s stunned, although deep red, face.

Loki turned to you with a charming smile that did little to hide the murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

“We are not friends,” he stated with every ounce of confidence he possessed. He possessed a lot of it.

“Of course we are, we even have friendship bracelets.”

“Those are not friendship bracelets.”

The most ordinary man you’d ever met scoffed. “Who wears friendship bracelets anymore?”

“I do,” you informed him calmly. “And I am very proud of it. They make me feel even closer to my absolute best buddy in the world. Worlds, I mean.”

“Come any closer and I’ll show you my friendship,” Loki growled through the teeth. The shackles on his arms clinked, but didn’t let him go.

The ordinary man, Joe Schmo, seemed tired. He eyed his gun, but apparently decided whatever he’d do with it was not worth his boss’s wrath.

He definitely looked underpaid. He couldn’t even afford any mask or a suit that would make him look like a formidable enemy for once in his life. Without it, you couldn’t help but imagine him as an overworked accountant that decided to take a part-time job as a human trafficker, or at least working for one. Even the way he paced nervously through the warehouse showed how little experience he possessed when it came to dealing with problematic individuals.

You loved to be a problematic individual.

His friend, on the other hand, the man who decided to lean on one of the warehouse walls and assess you quietly, seemed like a much more intriguing lad. Without seeing his CV it was difficult to measure his experience in the branch, but if you had to give one of them a pay raise, he seemed more qualified to get it. At the very least, he knew the basic rule of not talking to the cargo.

But all in due time. It would be rude to divide your attention between such wonderful people.

You turned back to Joe. His ordinary hair was already plastered to his head.

Loki eyed you suspiciously. It was just a quick side glance, not meant to bring too much attention to the gesture.

The emotions he felt and let be heard in his voice were real. It was also true that he’d prefer to be stuck there alone. He had a very strong feeling that his situation would then improve drastically, although he wasn’t sure how exactly.

For once, it would certainly be easier to think about a way out in peace. He didn’t intend to stay there for a second longer than was absolutely necessary, and without your… assistance, it surely would be a shorter inconvenience.

But it was also true that even though you proved to be a talker in the past days, you never seemed so… focused and confident on achieving something?

Loki blinked. It almost looked as if you actually had a plan and were in the middle of realizing it.

It also looked like you riled Loki and the man up on purpose and were using all the chaos to cover for something.

Unbelievable.

The end must be near.

Meanwhile, the ordinary man took a deep breath that did little to calm him down.

“One more word and I’m going to find a gag and silence you,” he warned you.

“Oh, but there’s an easier way to do that. You can always just buy my silence for 10 bucks.”

“You know what? Fine.”

Loki watched with amusement as the man fished through his pockets for any spare change.

“I’ve got like… 3.”

You clicked your tongue with disappointment. “I’m sorry, but today is not a Discount Tuesday.”

He cursed and threw the hard coins into your face. “Screw you!” He turned to Loki. “And you!”

And then he walked to the other man and told him he needed a breather. Just a few minutes to put himself together. He wasn’t told it would be so difficult.

And then he left.

The revelation hit Loki without as much as a warning.

That was not only a plan.

It was a brilliant one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think! I love reading comments!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For yeethawboi. I miss you.

The shock on Loki’s face was adorable, if well hidden. It did a lot to your self-esteem to know he didn’t think of you as a complete idiot anymore.

You did your best not to show that on the surface, though. Your plan might be hectic, but it did require a few important things to happen.

The man that left had threw some coins at your face, which gave you the perfect excuse to have your head turned to the side, as if in pain, or whatever people would focus on. You used it to pry the collar of your suit open with your teeth. Chewing on it enough for a very thin, very needed wire to come out, you were glad the last man left was standing far enough from you not to have a good angle at your doings.

Loki, on the other hand, did.

A mischievous smile grew on his lips, shaping them into a sharp, precise weapon.

“Are you completely sure this is how you want to spend your short, futile life?” he asked the man, focusing the attention on himself. He’d always enjoyed doing that.

The man didn’t answer, immune to the god’s charm. He had a bored, but calm expression, like his mind wasn’t really there and he was fine with that. You’d never met anyone named Jeff, but that was exactly the type of person you always imagined would go by the name of Jeff.

Unaware of his rebirth, Jeff picked on his teeth in a manner that strived very far from any proper manners. If throwing a textbook of good manners at a person was ever justified, it was in a situation like this. Loki was sure all of his childhood tutors would agree. Silently, but agree.

You managed to pull the thin wire out of the fabric and drop it behind your back. You only had one chance to catch it with your tied hands, but you, luckily, managed that. The man didn’t seem to notice. His last meal’s remains must be way more interesting.

“Such a lowlife job seems like a lot of fun,” Loki continued with his bruised chin up. “You must have plenty of occasion to prove what a disgusting creature you are deep inside. Kidnappings, illegal business… When was the last time you had a real talk with your conscience?”

Jeff smirked a dangerous, rotten smile.

You wanted to tell Loki to be careful, to watch his tongue, and not to go too far, but with the quiet manipulations of your hand prying the cuffs open, you couldn’t bring attention to yourself just yet or it all would go to waste.

Loki’s confidence didn’t falter, even as a shiver ran down your spine. You had a bad feeling and no way of acting on it - the worst possible stress enhancer when it comes to stabilizing your hands. The lock was taking longer than it should, but you had to move carefully in order not to show it or lose the wire. It was a shame you couldn’t do anything about the ropes tying your legs to the chair.

Loki let out a quiet laugh. It felt too smooth to be natural. It made you think of hours spent alone in a room, trying to perfect it.

“You’re not much of a talker, are you? You must truly be a pleasure to work with.”

The man huffed. It was not an aggressive sound, it was actually barely audible if you weren’t listening closely enough. But the man followed it with a turn of his body and a step in Loki’s direction, followed by another one and a few more.

Your fingers turned slippery, the moves sloppy. Your heart raced loud enough to be heard.

It was not the right time yet, you wanted to say. Just a few more minutes you could use on the lock, you tried to bargain with the inevitable.

But the sad truth was, no matter how brilliant a plan, life will catch it like an old, annoyed teacher, easily finding any and all mistakes and marking them in bright red.

The man stopped in front of Loki. Loki didn’t fail to look charmingly relaxed.

“Did you come here for your first lesson on manners?” his smile was easy. “I promise I’ll do my best to-”

“I know what you are.”

The man fished out a thin blade from his pocket. If you weren’t looking close enough, you would miss the movement.

Your throat tightened, almost cutting your air off. It was a stupid reaction, you were aware of that, especially since it was a literal god being threatened. Loki must be immune to anything the man could do, right? Besides, why would he damage someone his boss intended on selling?

The man raised the blade. “I really don’t like guys like you,” he said. “You think you can come to my planet and start a massacre and after a few months, walk the streets like nobody remembers that?”

Loki raised an eyebrow, not looking at all distressed. After all, it was far from the first time he’s been threatened.

Jeff raised the blade. “That’s why I make sure to be equipped with something worthy of guys like you.”

The blade moved. It wasn’t particularly big or lethal looking.

But it made Loki bleed.

Loki didn’t gasp. He didn’t even flinch, to be honest, which was caused more by the surprise of actually seeing his own blood than immunity to pain.

“What is it?” you blurted out before you managed to bite your tongue. One of the locks holding your hands in place was already open, but you were working on the second one.

Jeff’s lips curved into a thin, pale line. You no longer wanted to call him such a common, normal name. He didn’t deserve it.

“I’ve been a part of this business for long enough to take a hold on a few interesting scraps from the alien’s ships and other garbage you all loose around a city when you demolish it, heroes and villains alike. I guess every job has its perks,” he spat in Loki’s face. “One of them is killing garbage like you.”

The lock came undone with a click louder than you intended to. The man’s attention was drawn immediately to it.

You jumped forward. His fist flew over your head. The chair had been bolted to the floor, and it made your legs scream in pain when they twisted, still tied to it.

Your elbows hit the floor. It was an unfortunate position in general, but in your current situation, you could make it work.

You grabbed the man’s ankles and made him lose his stance. You burrowed your nails in his legs, dragging him down.

A boot struck your stomach, but it wasn’t enough. The man fell with a muffled curse.

He hit the floor. The knife was in his hand, clenched tightly around the hilt.

You grabbed it whole and, before he could react, pushed it into his arm. He jumped, and you locked his neck in a tight embrace. He trashed, and lost consciousness after what felt like ages.

Your breath was shaky, the adrenaline making the world seem too bright and too vivid. But no matter how much your mind needed time to process everything that happened, you didn’t have any. The other man could come back any time.

Loki observed you in silence. The knife was slippery, but it cut through the ropes on your legs easily. Grimacing, you stood up. The blood painfully circulated in your limbs.

You heaved to Loki’s chair and freed his legs too. You didn’t talk as you manipulated the handcuffs. There was nothing to talk about. No matter what you considered yourself to be, life had a wicked way of forcing difficult decisions on people without any preparations. Whether you were a hero or a villain or none of that, sometimes life just sucked and all that was left was to move forward.

The cuffs landed on the floor with a metallic sound. Loki rubbed his hands together, feeling the uncomfortable stiffness. He dared a direct look at your face.

“What now?”

It was not what he wanted to ask, but it was all the tense air allowed.

“Onward, my dearest Prince. It’s all that’s left.”


	16. Chapter 16

The return of Joe Schmo was as surprising as it was unwelcome.

You faced him first, barely managing not to walk straight into him.

Your fist connected with his face before any reasonable thought came to your mind. It hurt your already sore knuckles and sent him to the floor. Loki’s kick made sure your favorite Joe in the world lost consciousness completely.

“Nice reflexes,” you quietly congratulated him, moving farther into the corridor outside of the room you’d been held in.

“It’s such a shame I can’t say the same thing.”

“I love our little banter.”

You peered over the corner and into an empty room. It was a huge place, with plenty of corners for something (or someone) nasty to hide in.

Loki threaded carefully right behind you, his steps barely audible on the rough concrete floor.

“It’s not banter, I’m outright telling you you’re slow-”

You put your hand over his mouth. It was a sweaty hand, and you might have spared it another thought had the unfamiliar voices not rose from the direction you were heading in.

Loki peeled it from his face and gestured for you to make a sharp right, into a dark, quiet room visible from your spot. You couldn’t see the way you had been dragged from the car to the room with the chairs, but you were almost sure it was not the right way to get out of the warehouse and would only slow you down.

Still, neither of you were equipped enough to face any more armed men, and your guts told you most of them had at least a gun.

The darkness of an unfamiliar room swallowed you in without a compliant. You couldn’t see anything farther than a few steps from where the light of the corridor marked the floor with a line.

Loki and you held your breath as men marched through, handling something heavy. The scraping on the floor gave you an image of thick, iron pipes. Maybe it was another part of whatever they scavenged off alien ships.

As their steps faded, your blood pumped faster at the thought of them finding Jeff’s unconscious body. All they had to do was look into the room you were supposed to be locked in. If you were particularly unlucky, he might wake up himself and raise an alarm. All you had was no more than a few minutes before any of that happened.

Keeping your head low, you made to sneak out of the darkness.

Loki’s arms came around you and pulled you back. He pushed you close against his chest, diving back into the room.

Before you kicked him out of reflex, another noise made it through the corridor, not even stopping near your room. The person was quieter than the others, probably not moving any stuff. You would have missed it completely and ran straight into them.

You felt Loki lean close to your ear. “We can’t go that way.”

It was stating the obvious, but you nodded anyway. He reluctantly released his grip on you and with your back pressed against him, you dared to look the other way around - to the back of the room.

Covered in thick darkness and a fine layer of dust, you couldn’t make out more than simple shapes of high shelves along both of the longer walls, filled with various scraps of metal and things you couldn’t find a name for. It was a long shot, but exploring what lay behind you was worth trying.

Loki’s face was unnervingly close as you glanced at him and silently gestured in that direction. He didn’t look pleased, but followed your careful steps.

You tried not to think about your still half-wet clothes as you felt your way through the dark. Every movement was uncomfortable, but at least you weren’t dripping. The wet splotches would certainly make it easier for any pursuers to follow you.

It quickly became obvious that your weak human eyes couldn’t see well enough to avoid walking into the things laying around. With a dramatic look on his face, Loki took up the initiative and generously allowed you to hold on to him as he snuck through the darkness like a mist. It must be cool to be a god.

Your hand on his arm tightened as you neared what looked like light coming under a closed door. So there actually was a second entrance. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, given how huge the warehouse was, but it still made your heart beat a little faster as Loki tried the lock. It was open.

You exchanged wide-eyed looks. It’s not like you had much of a choice, but something about going in there made your guts twist. A bad feeling, you’d call it, were you not already familiar with how useful, and right it usually was.

Loki gently patted your hand, still caging his other wrist. You really didn’t have a choice.

He pried the door open the tiniest bit, and you braced yourself for the scream of unoiled hinges. Thankfully, it wasn’t as loud as you anticipated.

Loki slipped in through the crack, quiet as just another shadow, and you followed. He could hear your steps, even though it was obvious you were doing your best (kinda well for a human). It wasn’t enough to raise anyone’s attention around here, but would certainly disqualify you from sneaking through Asgard’s palace corridors at night, with their never ending, terribly amplifying echo and guards on every corner. He pondered if you’d let him teach you a few tricks if he ever offered, before brushing that thought away. First, you had to get out there.

Your grip on his hand tightened as the familiar smell hit your nose at the same time as his. Loki frowned, searching through his memory before coming to a very unwelcome conclusion, soon confirmed by the noises.

“Oh shit,” escaped your lips. He couldn’t agree more.

High above your heads were a few narrow windows, clouded in old stains that filtered some midday light, allowing you full exposure to two rows of huge, reinforced cages and their occupants. Some hissed at you, some tried to reach between the bars with claws longer than your fingers. You noticed two of the monsters you’d already faced that morning, still hazy from the sedatives they must have been drugged with to allow the transport. But they were not the only ones there.

“How about we go back, tie ourselves again, and apologize?” you whispered to Loki, not hiding the fact that you pressed yourself into his side.

“It would be a nice idea were it not for the fact that I don’t enjoy restrains I didn’t consent to,” Loki answered in a whisper barely more audible than yours.

“What if I asked nicely?”

Time didn’t allow him to admit he’d let you try it even if your request wasn’t particularly polished, because time chose exactly that moment to become your enemy.

An alarm sounded through the warehouse. The beasts stirred and howled wildly in their cages.

“Onward, darling,” Loki breathed out and pulled you after him.


	17. Chapter 17

The alarm went off, deafening you for a second. The caged beasts howled in distress and, what you guessed might be, hunger.

Loki dragged you farther in, his fingers leaving imprints on your skin, but you balked, not moving.

"We have to go," Loki hissed, anger flashing through his eyes.

"We don't even know if there's an exit there."

"There's certainly less of a crowd, so, given the choice, I'd suggest we choose this path," he gestured widely in the direction of voices raising through the noise. The men wouldn't waste much time before setting off to search thoroughly through the warehouse.

"I hate you," you muttered through gritted teeth, allowing Loki to drag you with him, directly in between the cages.

"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual."

The logical part of you was aware that there was enough space for you two to go by the cages, just like many men must have done in the past, but the unquestionably human part of your brain cursed every step anyway.

The cages shook as the beasts circled the narrow, dirty spaces, already enraged by the howling noise rising through the warehouse. Impossibly long teeth flashed behind the thick bars, and razor sharp claws scratched the concrete floor, marring it with gaping wounds.

Loki's shoulders were tense, and he couldn't hide that fact. He unknowingly leaned lower, his steps quick, and eyes darting from one side to the other. Neither of you actually felt safe on this side of the bars.

You breathed out, every step on the verge of running. "When we get out—"

The crack rang through the air.

You froze; Loki's hand on your arm clenched so tightly you could feel the bruise forming. But it didn't matter now, not at all. Not as both of you stopped dead on your way out and slowly turned your heads, your breaths interlacing in the frigid, still air.

Another crack and the bars broke a little more. A clawed paw reached through the hole, bending it with all the anger only a too long, too hungry lock up could grant to a beast sensing fresh meat.

"I hate my life," you whispered.

Another crack and another bar gave out.

You didn't wait for what would come next, and neither did Loki. Forgetting your past bickering and differences, you ran for your lives, breaking any existing sprint records on your way.

You slammed into a heavy, metal door at the very end of the huge space. Loki reached for the handle only to find a lock hanging there. One that needed a key to be taken off.

"Bullshit," he cursed again, promising Stark a very drawn out, very painful death for sidelining his abilities and most of his Asgardian strength, that was based on magic flowing through his veins.

You reached for the biggest heavy object laying around and slammed it into the lock, wishing you could ignore the sounds of metal bars being torn and shredded like paper behind you. You brought it down again and again, until the lock was hanging to the side, but still not opening.

An echoing howl and a satisfied grunt behind your back told you enough. The other beasts were going mad in their cages.

With one last hit, the lock pried open at last, and before you even had the time to process the small victory, Loki pushed you through the crack headfirst. His back pushed you farther when he turned on his heel in a blur of colors to close the door.

The beast slammed into it.

The force of the impact threw you to the ground, Loki falling painfully next to you. You watched in terror as the thick metal door came off its hinges and fell. An endless void of teeth opened hungrily in the dark.

And then an energy blast shot right through it.

Slowly, as if in a dream turned nightmare, both your heads turned back, in time to see the Iron Man landing with a loud, dramatic thump.

The mask didn't hide his rage.

"Oh shit," Loki muttered. You couldn't agree more.


	18. Chapter 18

If only rage could rattle the stars, the world would finally meet its end swiftly. Instead, proven by the most unfortunate events, it was forced to wait for a bit longer, suffering through endless hours of vocalized emotional distress.

You caught Loki’s eyes over the table. At least you weren’t the only one having a dead-fish-glare.

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me!” Stark jabbed a finger at you. He never stopped pacing the room, which should have made it even more impressive and threatening, but not much could beat being portalled by Doctor Strange back to the Tower. Some things are hard to beat.

“You’re repeating yourself at this point,” You sighed, stretching your legs under the table. “We’ve been at it for an hour already. I thought you weren’t the one for speeches.”

Steve shook his head silently, probably wishing you to stop. He positioned himself near the exit, as if there was anyone in the room stupid enough to try sneaking out.

You looked back to Loki. Well, you’d actually already made it out once.

The other Avengers assembled around didn’t butt in, allowing all the harsh words to be said aloud. Some still had bruises and cuts needing to be tended to, but they stayed, creating a unified front.

Shame it was against Loki and you.

He didn’t seem to mind. Sitting with his back straight, his face was a skillfully crafted expressionless mask. It was something you’d seen him do before, just as you’d seen him lose it for a few brief moments. You wondered how many years of meetings just like this one it takes to master creating such a mask.

You steadied your voice. At least Peter was not there.

“There was a threat. We answered it.”

Steve sighed with resignation. “That’s exactly the problem. You’d been told to stay in the Tower and keep an eye on Loki.”

“Right. I forgot I should also let people die literally blocks away. Sorry, my memory is not what it used to be.”

“This is not the time for sarcasm and jokes,” Clint reminded you. You had a suspicion the bruise on his cheek would turn a beautiful shade of green by tomorrow. “You should have called us, or the police at the very least.”

“Yeah, I should call the cops, but you had to go—wherever you went—with the whole team and Strange, yourself?” you scoffed. “Besides, I tried to call you. And so did Peter. Shame you didn’t pick up.”

Steve put a hand on Tony’s shoulder, stopping him from another rant. You did feel a little guilty about breaking your orders, but if you had to make the choice again, you’d do exactly the same thing. Rushing to someone’s help was not something you ever regretted, and you weren’t going to start now.

“By the way, how did you know where we were?” you asked, the thought having bugged you since it happened.

Steve gestured to your wrist.

“The bracelets have a GPS. The moment you left the Tower, we got the info.”

Loki shot his bracelet a look of disgust. He started hating it even more.

“That’s neat,” you admitted. “Shame it still took you awhile to actually do something about it.”

“We weren’t sitting on our asses,” Natasha surprised you, breaking in. “We were forced to stop a madman trying to break the borders between worlds. That’s how the creatures you fought got into ours. The breakage happened throughout the world, but thankfully it was contained rather quickly in most places. Thor is still patching up some bigger holes, but Strange helped us get back here through his portals.”

“Oh.”

“Your ‘oh’ doesn’t cover half of what happened,” Tony pointed out. “We had no idea why both Loki and you left the Tower and how it was connected to those incidents.”

“Well, sorry for not calling you earlier, I got caught up with hero work and, you know, kidnappers too. Literally.”

“Speaking of which,” Clint didn’t even try to hide laugh from his voice. “How the hell did you end up in there?”

You kept your chin high. “My dearest side-kick and I decided that the day was still early after we killed the monsters, so we followed the men scraping off the things from the side, and got into their base to take them down. You know, the usual.”

Loki raised an eyebrow.

Stark dragged a hand down his face, hoping it would ease some of the exhaustion he felt seeping down to his bones. It didn’t work.

He asked as politely as he could, “And getting kidnapped by them seemed like the best way in, I suppose?”

Loki raised the other eyebrow too, looking at you with clear intent.

You ignored it.

“Obviously. It got us right where we wanted, and also allowed us to see if those really were the right guys. It was a brilliant plan.”

Stark was breathing heavily with his eyes closed. You’d known him for years, but you still weren’t sure if he would start shouting or laughing his ass off. The man was a mystery.

Steve shook his head with disbelief.

“And you decided to just, what? Tag along together?” he pointed to the two of you, seated at the opposite sides of the long, glass table.

Loki didn’t answer. He knew this type of conversations was usually doomed from the start. Nothing he’d say would change those people’s opinion of himself.

You looked at him.

“That turned out to be a good idea too.”

Something passed through Loki’s face, but it was gone with a blink. If your eyes weren’t locked, you’d have missed it.

Tony stopped pacing and folded himself on a nearby chair. He didn’t look like he had any strength left in him.

“I’m too tired to deal with you today. I vote on having this conversation done properly tomorrow.”

You smiled your sweetest smile. “And I vote on just dropping this useless farce. Who’s with me?”

You gave Loki The Look. He obediently raised his hand and enjoyed every second of disbelief on Tony’s face as you raised from your chair and headed to the door with Loki by your side.

You waved the Avengers a goodbye. Steve didn’t stop you. He wanted to say something, but you passed him too quickly to allow that.

Loki followed you in complete silence. At least, until you got out of their hearing range.

“May I inquire where exactly we are going?”

You strode confidently into another corridor, heading to the elevator.

“To the kitchen, my favourite side-kick. We’re getting all the food we can carry and then finally enjoying a break from this nonsense. How does that sound to you?”

Loki opened his mouth, but the words weren’t right. Not yet, at least. It had been a long day, and words like the ones prying their way onto his lips should be said under different circumstances.

“When exactly did I become your side-kick, though?” he asked instead.

“Why, from the very beginning, obviously. I’ve got more experience.”

“I didn’t notice that experience earlier.”

“I don’t like to boast about it.”

He hid a smile. “Right.”


	19. Chapter 19

Even when the world was falling apart around you, you could always count on the Stark Tower’s kitchen. The relationship between you was… difficult, to put it matter-of-factly, but it would never betray you. It would never abandon you. Even in the darkest hour, it had your back and provided you with all the support you needed. 

“You have a very stupid look on your face,” Loki observed with polite interest. “Not that it is a rare occurrence.”

You took your dreamy stare off the chips before handing them to Loki. You dug farther into the secret stash under the counter. 

“You’ll understand in a few minutes." 

"I don’t want to eat. This, whatever it is, doesn’t even look edible." 

"Oh, honey, you’re in for a wild ride. Wait until I find more flavors." 

You produced another package before starting on another shelf. You estimated that you only had a few minutes to make it through this before one of the Avengers decided they weren’t yet done with the issue you so narrowly escaped. 

Loki eyed the growing pile of food. At least, what he hoped was food. All the unnecessarily colorful, plastic containers were not something he was used to. 

He sighed, watching you move around the kitchen. It was not like he had anything better to do—after all, you were the one who managed to get him out of the storm of questions and accusations just minutes ago—but standing there like an idiot was very low on his list of priorities. He tried not to be obvious about it, but once he had a glance at himself in one of the windows he passed, he could only wince at the dramatically smudged blood and dirt all over him. He kept on brushing the sweaty strands of hair off his face, but they kept falling over his eyes anyway. 

Of course, he was still glorious. It’s not like a few dirt smudges and greenish bruises could hide his perfectly sculpted features (obviously), but he wouldn’t say no to a bath. Or a shower, at the very least. 

You stood up with a loaf of bread and reached for two plates. "You prefer salami or some veggies on top? I can slice a tomato." 

Dumbfounded, it took him a moment to understand. 

"Pardon me, but are you about to make sandwiches?" 

"Yeah. You prefer toast?" 

"We have fought some otherworldly monsters that almost got us killed, got kidnapped and then almost eaten again, and then yelled at for security breach, and you’re about to make sandwiches?" 

You gestured dramatically towards a high paneled window, showing a beautiful view of an evening setting over New York city.

"We’ve been out for the whole day and we got a lot of things done. Aren’t you at least a little bit hungry? Besides, what kind of situation isn’t improved by a sandwich?" 

"That’s not—” Loki sighed. “That’s not even close to my point, you dim-witted human. How can you even think about eating right now?" 

"One, that’s bold of you to accuse me of thinking,” you put one finger in the air. “Two, I’m just hungry, and unless your godly stomach doesn’t need food, so should you be. What’s wrong with the sandwich, though?" 

"Nothing, I just—didn’t really expect to get one. Handcuffs, yeah. Some punishment, a lock down maybe. But not a sandwich." 

"Is it bad?" 

Loki thought for a moment. He had lived a long life, especially by human standards. He lived through a lot of absurd situations, most of which he brought upon himself, but none of them managed to prepare him for this one. Well, at least it wasn’t a painful one. 

"What’s a salami?" 

"A cool meat." 

"Then salami it is. I just hope it’s got nothing to do with that hellish sauce you forced me to consume last time." 

You laughed, quickly assembling the ingredients on the bread. Loki wasn’t sure the sandwiches were actually needed, given the amount of other food you made him put on the counter, but he didn’t argue. To be fair, he didn’t even feel angry at any of the pointless actions you dragged him into. 

At least Thor wasn’t there. He’d never let that go. 

With a hint of hesitation, Loki perched himself on one of the stools on the other side of the counter. He wasn’t an expert at Terran cuisine, but he judged it would take you a moment to finish making the meal you were so stubborn about. 

His legs appreciated the rest. It only begun to dawn on him how busy the day was. True to your words, once he thought about it, Loki could feel the low rumbling of his stomach, no longer tight from the stress and adrenaline. 

Loki caught himself involuntarily listening for the steps to the kitchen, but the floor stayed quiet. Of course, it wasn’t the first time he was alone with you, but to think there were Avengers wandering through the very same building, and yet not (or at least no longer) bothering him, was a strange concept to come to terms with. He wondered how long it would last. 

Probably until his brother arrived. He had a talent for making things worse. 

The silence around should be comfortable and peaceful, at least for the time being. Instead, it forced words out of his mouth—ones that had been on his mind for the past hour. 

"Why did you help me?" 

Your eyebrows rose a little as you shot him a surprised look. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I, by all standards, am still a villain. That… meeting wasn’t supposed to end with me walking away like that." 

He eyed the bracelet still shackling his wrist. It seemed like a small price. 

You shrugged, reaching for a tomato. 

"I didn’t see you at fault for any of what happened. You shouldn’t be blamed for that." 

"Some people would disagree with you.” And he knew their names. 

“Point them to me when you meet them next time. I’d love to have a conversation with them." 

"What I’m trying to say is… We don’t even know each other, so I don’t understand why you’d do any of that. No, I’m not talking about the sandwich. You know what I mean, and don’t deny it. I’m too tired to fall into word games with you again." 

With that, he offered a straightforward conversation. It was not something he often chose willingly, but the day was long and confusing, and the longer he got to know you, the more questions rose in him. 

You noticed the change. Rushing it would be unwise. You reached for salami, toying with the packaging for a moment. 

"You use the argument of me not knowing you well like it’s the only perspective that matters. You make it seem like I’m the kind of person willing to do anything only for the people close to me. Has it ever occurred to you that, just maybe, most of what I do and say, I choose for my own sake too?”

You pulled the package open. 

“To put it in simple terms, I don’t care who you think you are. From the moment I realised you weren’t a madman or a psychotic killer beyond reasoning, I decided to treat you like any other person put in your position. And I did that for my sake too, partially at least. I don’t like to make choices I don’t feel good about and I don’t like letting other people’s opinions stain my own. You may not know this, but once upon a time I was in a very similar situation, with a price over my head and more people seeking vengeance for my actions than I could count. I made some mistakes, but I was offered a chance to be treated like a person and… well, maybe not redeem myself, but at least to do some good. To do things that matter to some people.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question." 

"Then let me rephrase—I treat you like a person because I see a person in you. Not the villain. Not the God of Mischief. You. A person as tired as me, and hungry enough to excuse my poor attempts at fancy cuisine.” You put one of the plates in front of him. 

Loki blinked. It didn’t vanish. 

“Is that a ketchup heart on top?" 

"Yeah. Thought it looked cute." 

"I hereby excuse your attempts at creativeness. Stil, it’s not like I’m going to be friends with you, though." 

"That’s okay. We can just not kill each other for a while,” you said, attacking your sandwich. Your stomach sighed with delight. 

A look you didn’t understand crossed Loki’s face. "It would be easier if you just hated me." 

"Definitely. But do you want it the easy way, or the fun way, Mr. Trickster?" 

Hesitation changed into something else. What exactly, Loki still didn’t know, but it didn’t seem like a bad idea to give himself some time to figure it out. 

"I’m fairly certain there’s only one answer to that. For the record, though, I don’t want to be the sidekick." 

"We’ll think about that. Now, let’s move somewhere else before they find us and bore us to death.” 


	20. Chapter 20

Loki certainly had many virtues, but unfortunately, even such a great person couldn’t have an infinite amount of patience. Some things were not possible, even for gods. 

“May I repeat my inquire on where are we going?" 

"Yeah." 

You were still focused on the food stuffed in your arms, happy in your own little headspace. Loki was carrying some of the bags too, although when you managed to hand it to him, he didn’t notice.

"So, where are we going?" 

Of course he wouldn’t lose patience. He was not some short-tempered brute, and especially not a blond one, last time he checked. So the edge that could have been heard in his voice for just a brief moment was only a result of a very long and stressful day, most of which was your direct fault. 

"To get you some clean clothes. Pretty sure you didn’t bring any pj’s with you." 

"And what is wrong with my current attire?" 

You stopped at the entrance to what Loki supposed was a gym, and gave him a very meaningful look, with special attention given to a dried stain on his chest, in various intriguing shades of disgusting. 

"Forget I asked,” he sighed, allowing in his great wisdom to let the issue pass for now. He followed you to the lockers on the left wall. “But why here?" 

"There are always fresh clothes here, so we’re getting matching sweatpants." 

That stopped him dead in his tracks, although most of the dramatic effect was lost when you didn’t, and therefore missed it. He considered repeating the gesture once you turned back to him. He really didn’t like the confidence you looked through the greyish pile of clothes with. 

"What in the Nine Realms convinced you that I’m going to put something so hideous anywhere on me?” he almost spat, remembering the state of your sweatpants when he met you in the Tower’s kitchen a few days ago. 

“You don’t have anything else to wear,” you reminded him, taking out some trousers and eyeing his figure. Getting the right size was not easy. 

“I’d rather bite my hand off than wear those." 

"Then start with the bracelet hand, so we can part at last." 

Loki frowned. 

"The thought is appealing but unfortunately I don’t plan on losing any body parts anytime soon." 

"And since we both agree that’s fair, might we proceed with our journey?” You gestured to the exit, gray bundle secured under your arm. 

“What did I do to deserve being stuck with you?” he growled, but followed. 

“You… actually kinda know that. It was, you know, a big thingy on my planet in the past few—" 

"That was a rhetorical question. That means you don’t have to answer it." 

"I actually know what that means." 

"How could I have misjudged you. My humble apologies." 

"Apologies accepted,” you said, nodding. 

You stopped in front of door almost identical to the row of others through the corridor. 

The Tower was a huge building, even by Loki’s standards, but he was glad he hadn’t lost his sense of direction yet. He wasn’t planning on sneaking out in the night, but it would be below him to just ignore the structure of the place he was forced to stay at for some time. One can never know when such knowledge will come in handy. Especially on such a treacherous planet. 

You let him go in first and locked the door behind you. It didn’t look like anyone would bother you that evening, but one could never be sure. 

“What is this?” Loki looked around with a conflicted wince. The place was barely the size of the bathing room in his asgardian chambers. 

“I sleep in here sometimes.” You put the food down on the bedside table, turning the lights on. “Did you forget you refused any of the free rooms I showed you earlier?" 

"How could I have forgotten such hideous broom closets?” Reluctantly, he put the rest of the food there too. 

You shrugged, “At least it’s got a shower.” You opened the bathroom door. “And if you don’t want to sleep in the corridor, you’re gonna use it, stinky boy." 

"Call me that one more bloody time and I’m gonna pee in your sink,” he snarled and snatched the bundle of clothes from your hands before slamming the door closed. 

You looked at your empty hands. 

“You took my set too, but that’s fine. Check what size fits your ego best!" 

The response came in asgardian, but you had a fairly good sense of what it meant. 

You proceeded to hide some trash from the most visible places in the room while also wondering if an asgardian asshole knew how to use an earthly shower. 

The asshole, in fact, did. He might have been a little surprised by strawberry scented shampoo, but the rest was pretty familiar. 

The clean, warm water did wonders to his sore muscles. For a moment (and not a brief one) Loki wondered if he could just stay there, and ignore the rest of the world. Or at least the part he had to stay in. Thank the Maker he wasn’t claustrophobic, or he’d suffocate in that puny excuse of sleeping quarters, although he still wasn’t sure how he was supposed to get through the night if you were stubborn enough to stay too. Maybe if he knocked you out, he’d earn a few peaceful hours, but that was a long shot. 

Just to make sure, Loki tried to slip the damned bracelet off his hand, hoping the water and soap would loosen its tight fit, but to no avail. 

He missed his magic. He could feel it burrowed in his flesh and bones, waiting for his command as it always did. It felt so easy to just grab a handful of it and shape it to his liking—but he couldn’t grip it anymore. Through whatever Stark and Strange combined to create the bracelet, it prevented Loki from reaching his magic. The frustration drove him out of the shower, the water no longer calming. 

The rags he was forced to wear didn’t do much in terms of improving his mood. The gray was dull and nauseating. The fabric was not even soft and didn’t have any semblance of proper tailoring. He might as well be wearing a potato bag. 

He was going to make you pay. 

Loki looked at his filthy, bloodied suit. It would take a lot of work to get it cleaned up, and he didn’t feel like doing it at the moment. It had been a long day and the last thing he wanted was to invest more time on that. He left it on the floor. There didn’t seem to be any better place in the tiny bathroom. 

By the time he left, your arms were full of clothes you had deemed not filthy enough for next washing, but too clean to put back in the drawer. You were almost ashamed how much it turned out to be, but in your defense, you rarely visited the room. 

"What?” You asked as Loki eyed the pile. “I’m busy all the time." 

"Can’t you have anyone clean it up for you? Or are they too scared to enter?” Loki sneered, dramatically wiping off some dust from the higher shelves. 

“I don’t like people touching my stuff,” you shrugged and disappeared into the bathroom. 

For a moment, Loki listened to your movements, but it didn’t seem you planned on coming out anytime soon. 

He looked at the door. 

Just because he left the suit, it didn’t mean he left his favourite lockpicking kit too. 

Loki didn’t believe in luck; he preferred to take matters into his own hands. 


	21. Chapter 21

Loki wouldn’t call himself a master of lockpicking, but he certainly possessed his fair share of skills regarding the matter.

Their origins were varied, some including childhood punishments requiring him to be locked in his chambers. Some came from the times his curiosity whispered to him from places people didn’t want him to peer into. Both of those gave Loki a rather good hold on what he was able to do in just a few minutes under no supervision.

Most of his skills, unfortunately, required a lock to be picked. 

Loki stared at the wall and a panel next to the door. In the hopes of not gaining your attention, he tried to look utterly disinterested in the room you brought him into some time ago, but now he regretted not noticing how you opened the door.

He was sure you fished something out of your pockets. He just didn’t think it could be something other than keys.

The panel didn’t have any visible buttons, so guessing the code was out of the question. The whole thing seemed blended with the wall, as many things in the damned Tower did.

Loki left the matter of the door for later. The opposite side of the room held a large window, now looking more inviting than ever.

Loki grabbed a handful of chips on his way there. The sandwich you gave him earlier, although (surprisingly) not awful even with the heart on top, did little to completely satisfy his hunger. He sneered at the memory of it.

The window was big enough to allow a proper way out, Loki noticed with professional assessment. He had slipped through enough windows to know his own flexibility and the importance of right angles.

His heart dropped a little when he looked through it, only to find the night view over the shining city be a very high one. Loki wasn’t really bothered by heights, but a look down the Tower’s side made him hesitate a bit. He remembered he told you he wouldn’t sneak out anytime soon, but it was important to know his options in advance, right? Besides, the drop wasn’t even _that_ steep, come to think of it…

He turned, a little guilty, when you walked back into the room. Peeling off the dirt and dried fluids of varying sources did wonders to your presentation, only for the effect to be immediately killed off by the disgusting gray outfit, twin to his own.

“What, you thinking about jumping out?” You asked as if reading his mind.

Loki didn’t answer as you approached him, throwing your towel on a nearby chair. The chair didn’t protest, already carrying a few items you forgot about. You peered outside.

“Damn, it’s already snowing. I personally wouldn’t recommend sliding out this way anytime soon.”

Loki raised his eyebrows. “You make it sound like you’ve already tried that.”

“I made it 4 floors down before I got to the one without any good outside handles. I mean, there were a few, but I kinda slid by them, thanks to the frost.”

“Was it worth it?” he asked with actual curiosity.

“It was a bet—of course it was worth it.”

“I see.”

He watched you settle on the bed, bringing all the food closer, and turning the TV on. A spare blanket was even found for him, and laid to your left. He had to ask, though.

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Watch something mind-numbing, eat, regret I ate so much, and go to sleep.”

“Mind if I join?”

“You’re my bestie, of course I don’t mind.”

With a tormented sigh, Loki laid on the mattress, pushing your legs to make more room for himself. “Is that really necessary? It’s so crowded here.”

“With your bloated ego, I’m surprised the Tower is capable of housing you at all.”

He watched you fill your mouth without skipping a beat.

“Can’t you use a plate? You’re making a mess. I’m not going to sleep on the crumbs,” Loki complained, brushing some off the sheets already.

“You can always sleep on the floor. I won’t mind, it’s all yours.”

“I hate you.”

“Can’t blame you.”

He took the muffin you’d been consuming out of your hand and finished it out of sheer malice. Your shocked face made him feel a little better.

“You truly are evil, Loki—to starve the injured and weak…”

“Don’t call those few bruises an injury,” he scoffed, gesturing to the few cuts on your cheek.

“A few bruises? You see this? My arm is going to kill me tomorrow!” You put your elbow in his face, showing a growing mark that already darkened a large patch of your skin.

It didn’t hurt much yet—only when you touched it—but you had enough experience to know it was just the beginning. It was a surprise you could move the arm at all. You remembered falling on it quite a few times, so a broken bone or some joint injury could have been expected at least.

Loki pushed your arm out of his face. “You call that bad? Look at my poor ribs and guess whose knees are imprinted on them!”

He pulled on his shirt to reveal the damage, although he had to admit it wasn’t as dramatic as he wished to. His stark white skin contrasted with the grayish bruise, but it looked like the damned bracelet didn’t stop his body from healing faster than a regular human’s. A few more hours and there would hardly be any trace left of it.

You laughed in his face. “Poor baby. At least I can say I didn’t have any choice in that, as I was hauled into the trunk right after you. Do you want me to remind you of the time you basically threw one of those monsters at me? And pushed me off a bridge?”

“How many times do I have to remind your tiny little human brain that it wasn’t my fault—”

“You’re already looking for excuses—”

“Because normal arguments completely miss you—”

“Shut up, my phone is ringing.”

If your hand didn’t cut him off with a slap to his mouth, he might have made a remark about your injuries being an obstacle only when it suited you best. Instead, he had to resort to peeling it off his face while you looked for your buzzing phone through the blanket with the other one. Your so very painful injuries didn’t seem to be slowing you down.

He stole another cupcake. It wasn’t awful.

“Damn, Peter is facetiming us.” You seemed happy.

That alone made him wary. His mood only grew gloomier as the boy’s cheery face appeared on the screen in your hand.

You moved closer to Loki to let Peter see the both of you. Loki’s ribs were not spared in the process and neither were the sheets as the crumbs left his mouth along with an undignified whimper.

"My favourite teenager, you have no idea how happy I am you’re not dead and Aunt May won’t be hunting my ass anytime soon.” You sent Peter a blinding smile. Loki only shot you a dark glare, trying to free his right arm from under your body.

“Yeah, it didn’t go as bad as I thought,” Peter laughed as well, although the cut on his lip made it visibly uncomfortable. “I’m just grounded forever, but I’m fine. I’ve got super-healing, remember?”

You sighed. “Why am I the only normal one here? It’s unfair.”

“I feel so sorry for you,” Loki spit the words with venom coating every one of them.

Peter’s face lit up immediately. It got bigger on the screen as the boy peered in closer.

“I’m so happy you’re okay too, Mr. Loki! I’m so sorry we kinda dragged you into that, you probably hate our planet already, but it’s not that bad all the time, there’s plenty of—”

“Peter, how badly are you grounded?” You cut through his rambling, sparing Loki (and yourself) from the never ending stream of words.

“Well, I’m not dead, but if I’m one minute late back home, I might be,” he admitted, earning a chuckle from Loki.

“But you’re still going to school tomorrow?” you made sure. “I kinda want to grab some shawarma with my bestie, so you could join us during your lunch break?”

“That’s so cool! There’s a place I can get to in like 3 minutes, so it’s a perfect—”

“When exactly did I agree to that?” Loki frowned.

You patted his bracelet. “When you didn’t throw our friendship bracelet away.”

“I told you I’ve already tried everything I can to get this thing off me.”

“Sounds like a you problem.”

Peter nodded silently from the screen, not really minding the fact he’d been forgotten for a moment.

A muscle shifted in Loki’s jaw. He muttered with all the politeness he managed through gritted teeth, “And when exactly did your brave and just Avengers agree to that idea?”

“Tomorrow,” you answered with all the confidence that had Loki’s blood boiling. “Have you no trust?”

“In you? Please, don’t get me started…”

You shifted your attention back to Peter, only to find him staring at the both of you with hearts shining in his eyes.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Peter said with a smile suggesting the opposite. “See you tomorrow, guys!”

“Huh.” You looked at the suddenly dark screen. “He never hangs up so quickly.”

Loki muttered something inaudible. He focused on feeding the rage within him with another cupcake. There weren’t many left. You assessed the image.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Yes.”

“Is watching a compilation of fails the Avengers wish could be erased from the surface of the world going to make you feel better? Thor’s included.”

Loki hesitated.

“Yes.”

The internet was truly a wonderful place, if used right. That truth was only beginning to dawn on Loki, as just a few minutes through the videos worked wonders on his mood.

“How do you even come up with so much footage?” he dared to ask as the replay of Steve slipping on some loose debris during a fight played.

“It’s the internet, darling. We’ve got footage of everything that ever happened on those streets and of a few things that never did.”


	22. Chapter 22

Despite your words, you were out before Loki even noticed. 

He welcomed the silence, but didn’t deem it suspicious until he reached for the snacks in your lap only to find you sleeping. You hugged the bowl tight, but he plucked it out of your hands anyway.

At least you didn’t snore. His patience was worn so thin he’d strangle you with a pillow if you did. 

The silence was… strange.

Loki did not expect to get rid of you so quickly, even if only for a few hours. You must’ve been more exhausted than you let show on the outside - something Loki was forced to do on a daily basis too. He couldn’t blame you. It was a hell of a day. 

Loki sighed, settling further into the cushions. The warmth and a full stomach did wonders to his sore and stiff body. He could feel his own eyes closing, despite his efforts to stay awake. Sure, sneaking out right now would be a very reckless idea even by his standards, but the chance was one in a million. During the day you had your eyes constantly on him, so it was impossible to… 

Well, at least you kept the Avengers off of him. You seemed to have a lot of experience in keeping them in check, which came in really handy in Loki’s case. He wasn’t even using you as a buffer between him and the Avengers, because you were doing that on your own. Which was… nice, actually? 

A deep frown settled between his brows. He looked at you. Despite what you had told him in the kitchen earlier, it all seemed too good to be true. You had to have some ulterior motive in all of this. No one could be that kind just because. 

Or could they? 

Loki knew he had no way of finding out at the moment unless you spilled some deep, dark secrets in your sleep. With your face buried halfway into the pillow, and an elbow jabbing into Loki’s bruised ribs again, you didn’t seem the type. 

The dim light from the TV cast deep shadows across the room. Loki looked down at the bracelet cuffing his wrist, the screws shining on the metal. Even in his wildest dreams and worst nightmares he never would have anticipated the tangled string of events that led him to where he currently found himself. It wasn't… bad. There could have been worse punishments for what he brought upon Earth, voluntarily or not. Odin had always had a nose for what would hurt him most. He would have come up with something less pleasant. 

No matter what your motives actually were, Loki had to admit the days he spent with you were fun. Not easy, of course, but just enough to make him feel like a person again. Not a convict thrown from one interrogation to another just to repeat the same words over and over again until they lost all meaning. All in front of people who had already made up their minds on him. 

It was refreshing, Loki had to admit. He closed his eyes. The snow drifted through the night on the cold winds meandering above the sleeping city. 

A small part of him could feel it on some barely perceptible level of consciousness, as if the ice called upon his blood, making it restless. It could have been a part of his heritage, but he had no way of knowing for sure. His mind drifting away, Loki deemed it meaningless. 

With your breath the only sound in the room, Loki fell asleep as well, the exhaustion finally winning. 

It was a dreamless sleep, as far as he later remembered, filled with blurry images shifting into one another without logic or purpose. The emotions and intent behind them, if there were any to begin with, dimmed as Loki opened his eyes a few hours later, disturbed by the light coming through the window. He cursed the curtains he hadn’t thought of closing the evening before. 

It took him but a few moments to remember where he was. He wished it would take longer, leaving him in the blessed oblivion or with hope that all that had happened in the past days was but a bad, twisted dream. 

The bracelet holding firm onto his wrist proved otherwise. All the hope had vanished. 

Loki blinked. The sun hitting his eyes with vicious accuracy purged any warm remains of sleep. 

Loki took in the empty boxes and wrappings scattered along the floor and sheets. Some part of him couldn’t believe he let himself sleep in the mess. He turned his head to the right—to the very source of his misfortune. 

You must’ve twisted and turned quite a lot through the night, to get the blanket to cover you almost completely. Only a few inches of your face peeked out from underneath it. Sadly, it looked like you were still breathing. 

Loki didn’t fail to notice your side of the bed was peacefully abandoned, while you took his arm into possession. You might as well have already claimed it, with the low circulation Loki was painfully aware of. He already felt the stiffness. 

Muttering a curse Friga would pinch his ear for, Loki began to slowly extricate it from your embrace. The gentleness of his movement was not for your sake, obviously, but rather to spare him at least a few more minutes before you woke up to torment his existence. 

And, obviously, the only reason he tugged you back in was not to alarm your sleepy mind with the sudden cold. And it’s not like he stared at your sleeping form for a while, taking it in. He was just being mindful of his surroundings. Not terrible surroundings. 

Loki sneaked off the bed, and headed to the bathroom, wary of the mess covering the floor. 

The mirror showed him a god that had seen better days, especially when it came to his hair. Going to sleep without properly drying it wasn’t his brightest idea, but in his defence, the past week was made out of bad decisions on his side. So at least that newest one didn’t stand out that much. 

Loki tugged at one of the strands that decided it wanted to stand sideways that day. 

He managed to find a brush. It didn’t help much.

With a deep sigh, Loki sat on the edge of the closed toilet, reaching for his suit he left under the sink yesterday. It was still filthy and stunk more than he remembered. It was going to be a lovely day. 

He was focused on cleaning it in the sink when he heard a few knocks on the door. His hands stilled for a moment, but nothing followed. 

He probably should have answered it, but Loki was aware that he had no friends or sympathizers in the Tower, and he was not in the mood to deal with any of the Avengers. Besides, he still hadn’t figured out how to open it in the first place. 

Some time passed before he heard you shuffle in the room. It took you some more to pay him a visit. 

With half-lidded eyes, you frowned at the brownish water in the sink. 

“Is it at least coming off?” you asked with a yawn. 

“Some of it." 

"I think I once had a soap for stains,” you muttered before diving into one of the crowded shelves. 

You perched on the other side of the sink, and treated the leathers with the soap. Loki hesitantly allowed you to clean some of it. It was hard to say if the blood and filth was coming off just yet, but at least it smelled nice. 

“Someone knocked,” Loki broke the silence when he finally couldn’t endure the awkwardness of watching you wash his suit. 

“Oh? Did you answer?" 

"No." 

"Can’t blame you. People around here can be assholes in the morning." 

"It’s 11am.”

“Like I said, morning." 

With a deep frown, you sized up the progress. It wasn’t much, but it seemed to be slowly working. You looked at Loki. 

"I don’t think we can do much more about it right now. I’d suggest leaving it in hot water for a while, to soak the dirt and make it come off easier." 

Loki wasn’t happy about it, but he had to admit you were right. He appreciated the help, even if he wouldn’t say it out loud. 

You left to check on the door, hoping that whoever wanted to pay you a visit so early left a note. 

Loki sighed deeply. He had little experience with cleaning his leathers, but it never occurred to him it could take so much time. It had never occurred to him that you were capable of holding a civil conversation either, but that was beside the point. 

"My dear god, it looks like someone left you a gift!” you called to him from the other room. 

“You’re not even half as funny as you think,” Loki said, approaching with curiosity. What could the gift be? A dead cat? Death threats? 

You held a bag of clothes to him. Clothes he did recognize. 

With a noise he wouldn’t ever admit to emitting, Loki delved into the bag and then turned on his heels straight back to the bathroom.

Alone again, you stood by the door. If the asgardian fashion was capable of eliciting such emotions from Loki, it was definitely something worthy of checking out one day. 


	23. Chapter 23

Loki felt alive. 

With newfound energy surging into his bones, he felt shaped anew, his personality finally dusting the Earth’s dirt off its magnificence for all to see. 

Loki marched back into your room, clad in the familiar, asgardian fabrics, tailored to fit into Earth’s fashion better. All was good again.

You eyed him from head to toe with a look suggesting an utter lack of interest. To his dismay, you seemed more focused on the itch on your back, and finding a way to reach it, than his rebirth. 

“I didn’t expect you to understand, but this is saddening, even coming from you.” Loki crossed his arms, picking some invisible fleck off his black suit. 

“Sorry,” you muttered, almost bent in half backwards while sitting on the bed. “I’d clap, but I need that hand for a moment longer." 

"Forget it. I don’t need your approval." 

Relief softened your features when you finally scratched the itch. "Okay, I’m done. How do you fancy some coffee before we wander off to the streets?" 

"Only if you promise not to add anything ‘special’ in it." 

"Your lack of trust breaks my heart." 

One look through the window convinced you to put on some warmer clothes. The snow started to fall only yesterday evening, but you could already see it piling on the streets. Taking a car in such weather could turn into an unpleasant surprise, if roads were blocked because of it. 

You winced while getting ready. "I have no idea how you can be so full of energy, princess. Every part of my body hurts as if I were fighting monsters all day yesterday. I’m getting too old for this crap." 

Loki scoffed, leaning by the door. "I can’t imagine you in retirement. What would you be doing? Knitting socks for the poor?”

“Or I could babysit villains. I feel I have a knack for it." 

"You’re overestimating your capabilities,” Loki said, but there was no malice in his words. 

He watched you pull on shoes, struggling with bending far enough to reach the laces. It must have been the bruises you mentioned. His own healed through the night, and Loki was more than happy to discover that. He couldn’t imagine living like that. 

A tiny part of him almost offered to help you, but he leashed it before the words escaped him. Why, he couldn’t say. Confusion clad his thoughts while you finished and marched to the door. You fished a metallic card out of your pocket and held it in front of Loki’s eyes. 

“I really shouldn’t be telling you that you need one of these to enter or leave people’s private rooms in this Tower, and a few other sections not meant for the public. And I really shouldn’t mention that most of the important residents have one of these on them at all times. Security protocol and all that, you know.”

With a soft click to the panel, you left the room with Loki following your steps. He had enough reason not to thank you for the thing you never said. Although, Loki had to admit, his confusion only deepened. 

The walk to the kitchen area was blanketed in a silence Loki was surprised to find comfortable. It was a thrilling concept that he might start getting used to his companion, but Loki was saved from delving into that by a voice he might not have expected, but would always recognize. 

He froze, instinctively sneaking closer to the wall. You frowned, turning to him. 

“What’s wrong? We’re almost there—”

"I’m not going." 

”…is there any reason behind this sudden change of that brilliant mind of yours, or…" 

You gestured wildly to the right, but the answer came to you with the next burst of voices from the kitchen area. It was close by now, and close enough for you to recognize its newest occupant. 

“You don’t want to talk to him?” you asked, though it sounded more like a statement as you tried to keep your voice down, stepping closer to the shadows Loki was lurking in. 

“Why would I want to do that? He always brings the worst news, looking for people to plaster blame on—" 

"Hey, man. Chill.” You put your hand on his shoulder in what you hoped was a reassuring gesture. “You don’t have to flood me with reasons. If you don’t want to talk to him right now, don’t. I’ll just make some coffee and we’re off." 

"It’s not going to work, he's—" 

"Loki, he might be a god, but in this Tower, he’s just a man. I’ll be right back." 

Loki made to grab you and explain very thoroughly why exactly that was a disastrous idea, but you shook his hand off and walked away. 

For a moment, he debated following you, if only to make a statement. He didn’t, cursing his brother for ruining the day without trying. 

"Hello, my fellow residents!” You marched right into the kitchen, heading for the coffee machine. 

Clint muttered something from over his toasts, Natasha sitting next to him by the counter. They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with Thor, clad in his armor as if it were a second skin to him. It smelled rightfully so. 

The sudden silence echoed through the room. With all eyes on you, you stopped with two cups in your hands. You raised your eyebrows. 

“Is there a bomb in this room, or is it always so nervous in the mornings? Not that I would know much about it, given how rarely I make it here in time." 

Clint took his time with the toast. You’d never seen anyone mutilate it so thoroughly. 

Natasha was looking at you, but didn’t say anything. Her face was unreadable as always, but something deep beyond the usual expressionless mask seemed to be very aware of every gesture made by the people around. 

"Where is he?” Thor was first to break the tension. He crossed his arms over his chest, one of them wrapped in a bandage. It seemed like he was right back from his duty of sealing the breaks the Avengers mentioned earlier. 

“Excuse me?” You turned the coffee machine on. Hopefully, it wouldn’t decide to break in the next ten minutes. 

“Loki. Where is he?” Thor stepped closer, walking around the counter in the center of the kitchen to stand on your side. Clint and Natasha observed you from beyond it, the toast now cold and forgotten for good. 

“I have no idea who you’re talking about." 

"This is not the time for jokes,” Thor rumbled, his voice deep and strained. “I have already heard about his little venture, and I’m less than happy about it. I need to talk to him. We had a deal—" 

"What if he doesn’t want to talk to you?” you shrugged, stepping in closer too. Just because he was taller than most people, it didn’t mean you’d be intimidated so easily. 

Thor let out a barked laugh, cut short by the temper you could already see rising in his eyes. 

“I don’t care what—" 

"Maybe that’s the actual problem?" 

"We had a deal and he broke it." 

"Technically, that’s not what happened,” Natasha cut in, eyeing Thor. It was not the savior you expected, but you appreciated it nonetheless. “He kinda helped with saving the city and trust me, I was surprised too." 

You sent her a kiss. 

Thor sighed. "He was not to leave the Tower." 

"He made a choice to save people. I didn’t force him,” you said. The smell of fresh coffee filled the room. “He had my back and didn’t run away. You brought him here to give him one last chance. I won’t let you punish him for doing just that." 

Clint smirked, pushing his plate away. It was more crumbs than the actual toast. "Looks like someone is finally enjoying their job. Did you get the bag I brought you? I only noticed yesterday Thor left it here." 

"Yeah. Thanks, Clint." 

You took the cups, the warmth spreading to your fingers and the delightful smell making it difficult not to drool. You sent another kiss to Natasha now smirking openly. 

"You should be careful around him,” Thor warned you on your way out. Thankfully, he didn’t follow you. 

“Thanks, Thunderboy. You know how much I love your life-saving advice." 

Loki, still where you left him in the corridor, couldn’t help but enjoy that last remark. 

He wasn’t eavesdropping, of course not. But it wasn’t his fault that the voices were too loud to be ignored, and so he couldn’t do much but follow the conversation involuntarily. He couldn’t help but enjoy its outcome, either. Especially when it was clear enough that his joy of a brother would be off his back for a while longer—something always worth appreciating. 

You joined Loki not a few moments later, with a smile shining bright on your face. He followed as you took a path that would spare him crossing the kitchen. Thankfully, the Tower was full of elevators. 

Loki took the coffee you handed him, assessing it carefully. 

"Don’t worry,” you patted his hand. “I made it as bland and boring as I could." 

"My stomach rejoices with relief,” he assured you. He wasn’t even lying. 

The ground floor welcomed you warmly with an open area filled with people focused on their own lives. You sometimes forgot how many people were actually employed and working on various floors of the building. 

“So.” Loki sipped his coffee as you neared the same exit you last rushed through under very different circumstances. “I can’t help but wonder, what’s the ingenious plan that’s gonna get us out of here unnoticed?" 

Your lips curved. "A good, old blackmailing, my friend." 

"Oh, dear, now you piqued my interest." 

"Listen and learn." 

You fished your phone out of the pocket of your thick jacket. The call was picked after the third ring. 

"Tony, dear, in about twenty seconds my best friend Loki and I are going to leave the Tower and have a nice little walk around the town. If you let the alarm go off, I’m gonna tell Ms. Potts exactly what kind of an accident happened to her absolutely favorite Valentino bag and where you threw the evidence away. Have a lovely day.”

Loki had his eyebrows raised. You wondered if he’d get wrinkles because of you. 

“As much as I’d be delighted to hear that story, are you sure this is going to work?" 

"Nope,” you admitted before linking your arm with his and crossing the exit. 

Nothing happened. You stepped a few steps farther onto the sidewalk, just in case, looking up at the Tower. 

“You see?” You shot Loki a smile. “Everything’s fine." 

"Indeed, although could you please indulge me on how you are going to stop people around from recognizing me? I have some doubts they have heard of the whole 'Loki’s not here to destroy your planet this time’. 

You pursed your lips into a thin, intense line. Loki looked around. He wondered when the first scream would sound. 

"I’ve got an idea." 

"I dread hearing that…" 

Loki wasn’t happy as you handed him your half empty coffee, but he held it anyway. His mood gradually lowered as you took a long, thick scarf off your neck, and got to devastatingly low levels when you put it on him instead, successfully covering half of his face. The upper half expressed his opinion perfectly clear, he was sure of that, although it did not seem to make you falter one bit. 

"You know what,” you looked at your work of art proudly. “It actually suits you." 

He should have killed you in your sleep. 


	24. Chapter 24

"This is a bad idea," Loki voiced his thoughts. 

"You make it sound like that’s new information." 

"Well, at first I thought it all might work out and make the day interesting, but right now I'm a hundred percent sure today's going to be as terrible as the entirety of last week." 

You gasped dramatically. "Terrible? But you had a good laugh with me!" 

"What else was I supposed to do when my life was being ruined and my dignity trampled? File a complaint? To whom could I address it?" he asked, words sharp. 

"Why are you asking me? That sounds like your problem." 

"You don't see it as your problem only because  _ you're  _ the problem." 

"Nah. You're overthinking it." 

"Well, I suppose one of us has to balance out your lack of—" 

You cut him off with a sudden glint in your eyes. You stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, right in front of him, forcing people to walk around the two of you with annoyed grimaces.

"Did you just say 'us'? Could it be that I've finally grown on you?" 

Loki sighed a very resigned sigh. "Yeah. Like a tumor." 

Your smile was blinding nonetheless and caused him to turn his head the other way. It was the only reason he turned his head, obviously. Your joy was unreasonable. It wasn’t not like the word slipped off his tongue on accident and he tried to brush it off… 

He only listened to your following babbling with one ear, focusing just enough to know when to nod and grunt some confirmation at the right moment. It wasn't on purpose, at least not entirely. It just so happened that his mind was occupied by different matters at the moment. 

The path you decided on took you through what you described as quite a nice part of the city. Loki had his doubts about sanity and taste of whoever was behind the design of some of the buildings. The architecture was outrageously bland and plain and no matter how hard he tried, Loki could not find any reason behind such a fascination with squares and rectangles. Involuntarily, he thought back to the elegant arches and ethereal facades of Asgard's places of culture. The rich gold and vibrant colors that brought up all of the beauty of the city and homes of its people clashed violently with what he was seeing now. And why was everything so dull? 

You crossed the street, following the mass of people rushing in the same direction. The fumes in the air brought a grimace to Loki's face. You noticed, and forgot about whatever you were just talking about. 

"You okay?" 

Loki's attention snapped back to you, surprised with how much genuine concern could be heard in your voice. 

Well, you had already proven a few times that you meant him no harm, which was nice coming from someone on this savage, disgusting realm, but Loki was not yet used to it. He was trying, though, which he found surprising. 

You frowned at his lack of response and took one of his hands in yours, warming it up. "Are you cold? I told you to bring gloves. We could warm up in one of the shops right there if you want?" 

If you didn't know him any better, you'd say Loki looked flustered, but since it would be very out of character, you decided he must have just been overwhelmed with a world that must be so different from his. Your suspicions were confirmed when he insisted on walking. The hint of color on his cheeks must've been a figment of your imagination. 

"I'm a Frost Giant, after all," he explained, very interested in the display of one of the bakeries. "The cold doesn't bother me as much as others, regardless of my clothing." 

"Damn, wish I could say the same. It must come in real handy in weather like this," you gestured to the white blankets of snow covering every surface around. It was still fresh and clean, changing the world into something a little prettier than it usually was. Or maybe it was because it covered the trash littering the streets. 

Loki followed your gaze to the few tiny flakes of snow flying loosely in the air. The sky was clear, indicating fine weather for the near future. People didn't seem to pay much attention to the weather, if only to watch out on particularly slippery parts of the pavements. 

It was a shame, though, Loki thought. The snow was the only reason the city wasn't completely hideous to his eyes. It might have been caused by the Frost Giant blood in his veins, but he had to admit he enjoyed the walk through the whitened streets more than he anticipated, even putting the architecture aside. 

The air, despite the disgusting fumes the cars around restlessly continued to produce, had the bite and frost in it that he'd always enjoyed. He remembered the days spent outside from dawn till dusk with Thor, running around the palace's grounds, building their own fortresses from snow and branches and then attacking one another until their hands were sore and their runny noses frozen. Those were the few memories Loki didn't mind his brother in. He was a terrible fortress architect. 

They often ventured far, and made Frigga worry with how late they finally made it home. Even Loki's hands were cold by then, and his clothes damp and wet, but he was happy nonetheless, innocent and unaware of what his future would throw him into. 

Loki looked down at his hands. Those days were gone, and not much could bring them back. Even winter felt different in this world, more polluted and tamed. The frost was more of a suggestion rather than a sharp bite to his skin. His heritage would always protect him from damage, but he felt the cold anyway. 

The sad truth was, the past had to stay in the past, no matter how tempting it was to recollect and dwell upon old memories. Lessons had to be learnt from it, but one can never move forward if they drag their past with them. Despite his greatest efforts, Loki didn't remember who wrote that. Still, the words felt right to him. 

With a silent nod to himself, he got back to the present. You were still standing by the bakery he randomly chose to buy some time. He had been conflicted, but things seemed clearer now. 

Once again confident in himself, Loki straightened his back and turned to face you - only to find you already staring at him. 

"How about we marry?" you proposed. 

All air left him. 

"I beg your pardon…?" was all he managed to stutter out, his voice taking a high pitch at the end, despite his efforts to keep it casual. 

You didn't seem to notice the chaos raging in his chest. You only knocked softly on one of the posters at the display. With his heart in his throat, Loki read it with more difficulty than it would usually take him. 

"It says… Some free samples are offered to everyone who proposes there? Is that a joke?" he asked finally. 

"Not according to those photos." You pointed to some low-quality pictures printed and glued under the poster. 

His frown only deepened along with his confusion. "You want us to fake a proposal for some free cake?" 

"Why not?" you shrugged. "It's not like anyone's going to check up on us to see if we actually get married later on." 

Loki blinked slowly. His heart did not slow down, but at least he was starting to hear his own thoughts over the blood pounding through his veins. "Could you please explain to me, why can't we just buy it like normal people?" 

"Do you have any money? Like, human money?" 

"No." 

"Well, all I've got on me will go for our breakfast, especially since Peter will be joining us shortly, and he always devours a double portion like he's been starving for the past year and a half. So, how about a quick proposal?" you nudged him with a wicked smile, ready to march in. 

Loki knew that stupid look on your face. You were not faking it. He sighed into the ridiculous, although nicely smelling scarf around his face. "Do you even have a ring?"

That seemed to pop your happy bubble. Your shoulders slumped and for a very brief, quickly shushed moment, Loki felt bad about it. "Damn it…" 

"Besides, how would you conceal, you know, my identity? It would be suspicious if I had to hide my whole face during all of this madness."

"That's the least of our problems, there's no way anyone would recognize you anyway. Look, we've made it pretty far already and no one's even looked at you twice—" 

You gestured around. 

A skinny, blond man was staring at Loki with a look of utter concentration and confusion of his face, no more than three paces away. 

You froze, and so did Loki. But only for a moment. 

You burst into a broad, jovial smile before approaching the man like a good friend. "What a beautiful morning, isn't it, my dear? Would you like to have a little chat with us about global warming? We've been sent out to make a quick survey about people's opinions and predictions—Where are you going, sir? It will only take a few minutes!" 

You looked after the man that would choose to flee rather than continue the conversation. He didn't look back. 

You puffed out your chest with pride and turned to Loki. "Okay, I might've been a little bit wrong."

Loki was already casting quick glances around, fixing that stupid excuse of a cover around his face. He knew he would be recognizable. Too little time had passed since he was forced to attack the city, and people would still be bitter about it. Maybe after a few generations had passed and the memory of that disaster got lost in time… 

You joined your arms and shouldered him away from the spot and into a less crowded side-street. The snow crumbled underneath your feet, not yet turned into a muddy pulp. 

"Loki, listen, I know it might not seem like it, but I'm pretty sure everything's fine. The man didn't even recognize you, or he would’ve started screaming or talking in that very aggressive way some people love to use. And he didn't— which means he failed to connect the dots and probably thought you reminded him of some weird relative that he hasn't seen in years and just got confused… "

"You don't even believe that yourself," Loki cut you off. "You tend to babble when you get nervous."

"I… Well, you seem to know an awful lot about me for someone who hates my whole race." 

"It's not—" Loki opened his mouth but stopped. The words didn't seem important anymore. 

You paused too, still linked with him by the arm. Loki sensed the tension in your muscles and the change in your breath. 

Someone was waiting for you. 

The person wasn't tall, but the face obscured by a deep hood didn't seem the most trustworthy. A mugger wouldn't show up right in front of you, standing in the middle of the pavement. Surprisingly, no people seemed to be on your side of the street at all. 

Your fingers clenched on Loki's arm, as if you were preparing to haul him behind you. That brought a ghost of a smile on his face. As if he would let you. 

The man pointed a finger at Loki. "You should NOT be here." 

And that was when you recognized his voice. "Wong??" 

Loki frowned. "You know each other?" 

Before you managed to answer him, Wong approached you with anger loud in his every step. And snapped his fingers. 

Your stomach jumped high into your throat as the ground rolled under your feet without a warning. Loki's didn't feel much better, but he overcame the wave of nausea quickly—he knew what happened. It was a simple transportation spell he had used thousands of times. 

It didn't take you far—only to a small park, far from prying eyes. Some children were busy building a rather disfigured snowman at the far end of it, behind a line of trees, their naked branches heavy with snow. No one else seemed to occupy the place. 

Wong uncovered his face. You were right—he was pissed. 

"What is wrong with you, people? And I mean both of you. You were supposed to be the responsible one!" he jabbed you with a finger. "Don't you think he's a little too recognizable to be wandering around like that?" 

"He's got my scarf on!" 

Wong didn't bother with a response. Loki, despite his personal feelings towards the monk, couldn't blame him. 

Wong sighed, giving up trying to reason with either of you. He was aware of the god's current situation, because a big part of Sanctum Santorum's job was monitoring any threats to the realms and interdimensional peace—and Loki was very high on that list. 

On the other hand, despite the ice-cold looks he was being cast by said threat, Wong had to admit no major disaster happened yet—which was surprisingly nice (having the realm's continued peace in mind) but not ideal in Wong's personal interest (and the bet he lost to the Sorcerer Supreme). 

"I have a feeling nothing I say will make you go back to the Tower?" he asked. 

"Nope," you admitted. Loki only huffed with indifference, raising his chin high despite the thick scarf. 

Wong nodded to himself, as if he (rightly so) didn't anticipate any other answer. "Alright, then I'll at least cast a small glamor spell onto him, so you don't—" 

"Absolutely not!" 

The mere thought of the barbaric, bland magic of this realm being thrown upon him, boiled Loki's blood. If only he could reach out to his own magic, he'd show this pathetic excuse of a sorcerer what it really meant to wield such force… 

You nudged him in the ribs, hard. "He's kinda right, you know? You said it yourself—you're too recognizable." 

Loki was at a loss for words, and Wong used that moment to cast the glamor with a quick invocation and trained move of his hands. It tickled, like a wet, slippery mist blown into Loki's face. He snapped his attention back to the sorcerer, baring his teeth, but Wong was already departing. 

"It won't work on anyone who already knows you, but it should do fine against strangers. You two better not mess anything up," he said and disappeared into a portal before Loki could grab him by the throat. His hand closed on air where the sorcerer stood only seconds ago. 

"I hate this world," he growled out, clenching his fist. 

You patted his back soothingly. "I know, it's not the best sequence of events before a proper breakfast, but how about we finally go grab some? The place isn’t far." 

Loki brushed his face with a hand, the wet feeling not gone, but there was nothing he could do about it without his magic. He once again looked at the damned bracelet fixed around his wrist with pure, unfiltered hatred. 


	25. Chapter 25

The smell hit you square in the face before you marched in. The delicious combination of roasted meat, seasonings, spices, and old man's sweat combined with the hunger rolling in your stomach made you drool. 

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Loki frowned, inspecting the crowded interior, which would be easy if there were enough working light bulbs. 

"Of course! Can't you smell it?" 

Loki, in fact, could smell a lot, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. 

You grabbed his arm and dragged him to the old man leaning over the counter. The magazine in front of him looked ancient and stained, the pages dogeared as if it was passed from one generation to another. The man didn't raise his eyes. 

You pointed to the equally stained menu hanging next to him. "So, what do you want?" you asked, as if the names told Loki anything. 

"What is that?" 

"Meat." 

"And that?" 

"Spicy meat." 

"And those?" 

"Absolutely devastatingly delicious meat with a bit of—" 

"I think I’ve got the hang of it. I'll take this one." 

"And I'll take the usual for me and the kid!" you added to the man behind the counter. The heavy scent of cheap cigarettes and cheaper manners parted for a moment when he nodded without a word and moved to the back. 

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Is that normal?"

You maneuvered him through the thicket of plastic tables and chairs. "Of course, he's a real sweetheart! He always gives me some extra toppings for free. We've known each other for like 5 years, and I think he can read my thoughts by now." 

"And what's his name?" 

"I have no idea, I've never heard him speak." 

You chose the booth by the windows. There were only a few people in the room, and no one gave you a second glance when you passed them. Loki had no idea what had made him think he'd for once eat some quality food. 

At least the seats seemed to be clean, and the booth gave you the faintest illusion of some privacy, which Loki was thankful for. He looked at his reflection in the glass and ran his hand over his features again. The wet, sticky feeling of foreign magic didn't leave him. The window showed him his own familiar features, staring with defiance and anger in his eyes. The spell must've been working, though, for no one on the streets recognized him so far. 

"Still angry?" you asked with your elbows on the table. 

"Once I get my powers back, I'll show that pathetic excuse of a sorcerer what true magic looks like—" 

His promises were cut short by a boy rushing into the bar, his hair in disarray, and was clearly looking for someone. You waved and gestured for him to take the order that was just finished. 

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late." Peter slid into the seat on the other side of the table, still out of breath. "My class had to take care of organization of the projects for the science fair and I volunteered to—”

The boy continued to spit words breathlessly, and Loki listened to him only partly. The tray the boy brought with him absorbed most of his focus. Two of the three dishes on it were quickly distributed between Peter and you, which left Loki no choice but to suspect the third was meant for him. 

"If I die," he said, reaching for the plate. "I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your miserable lives and then make your afterlives hell." 

Peter sighed with pure love in his eyes. "I'd love to be haunted by you, Mr Mischief sir!"

"Don't speak with your mouth full." 

"I'm sorry, Mr Mischief sir!" 

Loki sighed. Stabbing the dish with his fork did not ease his frustration, which was very disappointing. 

The first few bites he took, encouraged with a suspicious amount of support, were not the worst. It was difficult to feel the original flavor because of the amount of seasoning, but overall Loki had to admit the nameless chef knew what he was doing. 

"He likes it," you cheered to an equally happy Peter. The boy's plate was almost empty already. "So, now that we've secured ourselves a peaceful afterlives, tell me about that science fair. Have you finally finished your project?" 

"I have a lot on my shoulders right now," Peter said. "Especially since I agreed to help with the organization of it all, and the logistics create one problem after another. I spent last night working on—" 

A knowing smile raised your lips. You nudged Loki. "I bet he only agreed to help because MJ asked him to." 

"Who's MJ?" Loki frowned, slicing the food with surgical precision. 

"Peter's girlfriend." 

"She's not my—We don't—..." 

Loki nodded, assessing the boy with piercing green eyes. Peter slid down his seat, hiding his bright red face under his suddenly sweaty hand.

You leaned over the table and patted his arm while Loki continued with his food. "She seems really cool. And I like her temper." 

Peter cleared his throat. "I… really appreciate that, but can we not talk about it for a second?" 

"Sure. So, what's been going on, other than you struggling with the project's deadline, making ends meet with the fair, and not thinking about MJ?" 

"Well, I…" Peter looked around the place, and made sure no one was close before leaning closer, in a totally not suspicious way. "I have been hanging around the neighborhood, you know, in the suit, like I always do, and I've heard about some very nasty business going on there lately." 

"What kind of business? Someone replacing people's potted flowers with other flowers?" 

Loki stopped chewing. "What kind of person would do that?" 

"I did, when I was nine and on my way to ballet class. I wanted them to see the world, meet new people..." 

Loki looked at you without a word for a very long moment. Then he turned his attention back to the boy. "What kind of business?" 

"Well, I don't really know yet. But I'm working on it! The thing is, I hang around a lot, and meet a lot of people, and there's this one lovely old Romanian lady that always makes me sandwiches and never asks why I swoop by her balcony in the suit in the middle of the night, and she's really cool, but lonely, and that's why she sits on that balcony all the time. She's old, but she still has a very good sight, which is why she's noticed that there were so many dangerous-looking people around lately, and cars that look exactly like in those movies about organized crime and they haven’t started any trouble yet, but she doesn't feel safe. So, she told me about this and I've been looking into it for the past couple of nights, and I definitely have a lead, but I don't really have time for it at the moment."

You picked food from your teeth. Loki tried not to see it. 

"So, you don't know shit," you rephrased Peter's monologue. 

"It's not like that, I know sh—stuff! I just… have yet to investigate it properly…" 

"And you don't have time for that, which you've already unsubtly hinted more than twice." 

A blush creeped back onto his cheeks. Peter avoided your eyes. "There's one more obstacle, actually… " 

"What a surprise." Loki fished a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his already spotless mouth. "What's the matter then, boy?" 

Peter seemed to shrink in his seat. "I found a suspicious place, but… It's for adults. They didn't let me in, even in the suit..." 

You failed to contain your laugh, which made Peter disappear under the table more. Loki only sighed, with something close to resignation. 

"That actually explains a lot—Could you please stop cackling like an idiot for a second?" Loki snapped while you fought for breath, laying on the table. Loki decided to ignore the strangled sounds you were making, and turned to Peter, barely visible but still bright red. "I have a feeling that your little investigation hit a dead end, which usually results in asking someone more experienced for help." 

"I… Hoped you'd agree to help me. I don't really have anyone else, and the Avengers are already busy with the stuff they don't want to tell me about." 

Loki blinked. He fell into his own hole. 

You seemed to realise it too, for you mastered yourself at last and looked at him with a devilish grin. "What a coincidence, Peter, sweetie. It looks like we're not busy. Or are we, oh dear god?"

Peter watched through his fingers as blood began boiling in Loki. It probably had something to do with the proximity of your face, shamelessly grinning, to his, with a brow twitching. Peter was by no means an expert, but he had a suspicion that one more reason for Loki's foul mood could be the finger you poked his cheek with. He snapped a photo almost absentmindedly, barely touching his phone. 

"So, what do you say, oh dear god, to the pleas of your humble believer? Will you turn a blind eye to the struggles of those who can't help themselves? Will you blatantly refuse to recognize the trust put in you…?" 

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Loki snapped finally, pushing you away with his elbow. "It's not like I planned to refuse, mind you!" 

Peter gasped. "So you're in?" 

"Uhh…" 

"I knew I could count on you, guys!" 

The boy's arms locked over Loki's and your neck, bending you awkwardly over the table for the hug. "We're going to fight crime together!" 

You patted his back, wishing you could see Loki's face, currently pressed into Peter's other arm. Loki was silent as the grave. 

Peter released you after a moment. A smile was splitting his face in half, and his eyes were suspiciously watery. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Any time, kid. We fight monsters, kidnappers, and now solve crimes. We're a whole package. We should get a business card and start advertising." 

Loki was of a different opinion, but he remained silent. Watching the boy's excitement and gratitude filled him with something that, if you tried really hard, almost resembled happiness. Almost was the key word. He was above such simple pleasures as feeling useful. 

"Oh, I forgot to ask you something," Peter started, rummaging through his pockets. "I bought something for MJ, because she was talking a lot about Lord of the Rings lately, but I'm not sure if it'd be a good idea to give this to her. It's not the same as the One Ring, but it kinda resembles it, right?" 

And then he showed you precisely what your own heart desired. 

The golden shimmer, the polished smoothness and the gentle, intertwined design of hair-thin letters that spoke directly to your soul. It was everything you ever needed, if only 'ever' could be restricted to the past hour. 

Loki paled and dared a look at you. His own heart shuddered, and rose up his throat. The air was thick and full of possibilities. 

You broke into a smile. 

"Peter, my dearest boy, do you think that we could borrow it for a few hours?" you chirped sweetly. There was an edge in your voice that made Peter shiver, even though he could not tell why. 

He swallowed and nodded. He was unsure what string of events his decision would initiate—he only hoped that the world would be ready for it. At least a team of heroes lived in the same city. 

He looked at his watch. "I have to run back now, because my break ends soon, but thank you guys so much for everything! I'll call you later and give you the address of, you know, The Place!" 

The boy rushed back to school, waving to you and then the owner who didn't raise his head from the magazine. Loki watched the boy run through the whitened street, careful of not slipping on ice, and not so careful about making other people slip. 

Gold reflected in the window. He looked at the tiny ring in your hands and then at your utterly feral smile. 

"I thought we were supposed to be the good guys," he said. "The good guys wouldn't do that." 

You clicked your tongue. "Who said anything about being good? As far as I remember, we've only agreed on not being the evil ones. There's a tiny line in between those two concepts, and I must admit I feel very comfortable walking on it. Aren't you?" 

A corner of Loki's lips twitched. 

"You don't walk on it—you waltz all over it, and trample both sides equally whenever it suits you…" 

You waited. 

"...and I love it." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? :)


	26. Chapter 26

The air coming through the cracks in the windows was chilly and bore the inevitability of an upcoming evening. The sun was quick to disappear during winter, which, in Loki's unhumble opinion, was a blessing. It was the velvety darkness that allowed the snow to truly stand out. 

Loki and you gazed at it for some time, having found an empty apartment on the other side of the street from the place Peter had led you. It must've been recently abandoned, for the dirt on the floor was rather thin, and the humidity from the cracks hadn’t molded the walls yet. 

The lights were out though, and so was the heating, which didn't affect Loki much, but made it harder for you to move your gloved fingers with every passing hour. You claimed to be fine, and could stay for a little bit longer, but Loki kept a keen eye on you, and especially on the shivering parts. After all, sensing a lie was not so far away from sensing an avoidance of truth. 

Unbothered, as usual, by any of his moral dilemmas, you were focused on a thick pile of photos capturing every one of the victories that filled your bellies today. 

"I think that one is the cutest." You raised one of them for Loki to see. 

He snorted, remembering the drama involved in you dropping to one knee and his perfectly controlled act of staging a surprise. The photo had a perfect shot of both your faces, and a waitress's in the background. She gave you bonus cookies after the cake. You liked her. 

"How little you need for happiness…" 

"It's not like you weren't there too. I've got evidence." You flashed the photos. 

"I can recall it just as well without those," he muttered, rubbing his overfilled stomach. 

He had to sit on a rather uncomfortable chair, the only one left in the apartment. It was bare for the most part, with only a few boxes of trash left. Whoever vacated it, wasn't keen on returning. The huge poster plastered to one of the windows suggested so too, unless the phrase "FOR SALE" held a different meaning in this world. 

You looked at the street several floors down, and at the people disappearing at one end of it. 

"Peter found a really nice place for a lookout," you said. 

Loki looked around, unsure if you were having the same thing in mind. "I'm afraid I'd prefer literally anywhere else. I'm not suited for ratholes." 

You were greatly disturbed by his misfortune. So much that your heart almost ached. Almost. 

A soft knock echoed from the door. A sigh escaped your lips. 

"I guess we can't ignore her…" you whined. 

"Be quiet, maybe she'll think we're not there anymore." 

"She’s monitoring this whole area. We can't fool her…" 

Loki's stomach made it very clear that it was not happy with the turn of events. Loki agreed. "Then be quick about it." 

"Me? I did it last time, it’s your turn." 

Loki grumbled in a language you'd never heard, but the meaning was quite clear. He moved to the door and straightened his clothes. 

The little Romanian lady had huge glasses constantly sliding down her nose. In her hands, the plate with two sandwiches looked huge and heavy and ready to fall on the floor. 

She broke into a smile that cracked already deep wrinkles on her face. The glasses slid a little bit further. Loki, involuntarily deciding what to catch first, smiled politely. He was not sure what precisely the lady was capable of seeing through the thick glasses, but it must've pleased her. 

"What a handsome young man," she cooed, slipping the plate into his hands. Her head reached only to his chest, but she managed to pinch his cheek affectionately. "But look at how pale you are! You must eat more, dove, it's important to remember about eating!" 

"Thank you so much for your kindness," Loki's words were muffled through the hand still wandering around his face. "But I can assure you, there is no need to worry about my—" 

"Oh, but someone has to!" The little lady stroked his hair in a manner suspiciously reminding him of cat owner's. "There is so little good in this world." 

Only once Loki came back to the room, properly patted and improperly pinched, you allowed yourself a laugh. "What a handsome young man…"

"Shut it." 

He massaged his bright red cheek, wondering if it would ever get back to its normal color. With lack of any furniture, he was left with no choice but to place the plate on his knees. An identical, only empty, plate was already put on the floor. 

"I hoped it'd end on fruit," he admitted. 

"Me too. I guess she's used to Peter consuming in seconds whatever she brings him, since you know, he's a handsome young man too, and always starving…" 

"Shut it." 

Loki focused on appearing busy, which wasn't easy. After all, it was an empty apartment. 

People on the other side of the street were walking in and out from the suspicious place, but not much seemed to happen. Loki was not sure what exactly Peter had in mind when requesting their help, but at this point it was a little too late to ask. 

You—which shocked Loki greatly—seemed to be of the same opinion. 

"I'm pretty sure it's just a nightclub," you muttered with your chin resting on your hands. "I mean, what's the worst that can be happening there? Some drugs?" 

"You sound like it's a common thing." 

"I wouldn't say it's common, but it wouldn't surprise me. I just hoped there would be… something worse." 

As unbelievable as it was, Loki was forced to admit, "So did I." 

You pulled a dramatic face. "Who would've thought our handsome young man wished to fight organized crime on this lovely day!" 

"What else is there to do?" He shrugged with all the dignified grace that'd been beaten into him in one of his most hated classes. "Steal some more cake? Earth is so boring when no one's invading it." 

"If you're so bored, we could pay this lovely place a visit after all." 

Loki blinked. "As touched as I am by your concern, I can assure you that if I ever feel the need to wander through such an establishment, I'd feel much more comfortable on my own." 

"You're no fun. I meant we could infiltrate it from the inside, see what's actually brewing there. Maybe we could make someone's day harder, see where it takes us." 

"I am by no means a fortune teller, but I can already say it won't be anywhere pleasant." 

You shrugged in the precise manner that always got on his nerves. "That's kinda the point, right?" 

It was, in fact, the point. 

"I'm not sure we could just go there from the street and be allowed in," he had to notice, though. 

"That's why we use my magic hands, and get some invitations." You nodded toward the people coming out of what you suspected to be a back entrance. 

"Since when is magic your domain?" 

"Unless your sparkles get us inside, I'm afraid it'll have to be." 

You sounded as if the plan was already formed, approved, and ready to use. It would be a lovely thing to believe, but Loki found his faith lacking. 

"My face might be concealed," he noted, trying his hardest not to focus on the disgustingly wet feeling of unfamiliar magic sticking to his features thanks to a certain new target on his vengeance list. "But I'm pretty sure yours might be a little too recognizable because of all your meddling with the so-called heroes." 

It earned him a pained grimace. He'd seen his fair share of your grimaces already, but not that one. 

"I don't really go on the frontlines," you forced out the words. "At least, not officially. If I have to, I wear a mask to protect my identity. There are some… former acquaintances that I'd rather not inform of my existence." 

"So that's why you were able to pull off so many proposals," Loki nodded, a puzzle finally finding its place inside his head. 

"For you, my handsome young man, I'd double the number," you assured him. "But I suggest we focus on what's at hand right now. If we can snatch invitations today, we have tomorrow to prepare for the show." 

That sounded way too reasonable to come out of your mouth, but there was not much choice left for Loki. He looked out again, noting that the amount of people 'accidentally' wandering around the dead end of the street had risen as the evening neared. 

"I'm sure I can snatch one first." Loki recalled his childhood and the many attempts to fill his pockets with a multitude of shiny objects that were surely underappreciated by their previous owners. 

"Is that a bet?" 

"Against my better judgment, I'm going to say yes." 

"Deal. Try not to get caught, though, or your handsome young face might lose some of its charm." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to AO3 problems with servers, the hits by people who are not logged onto AO3 don't show, so I'd appreciate if you left a comment/said something if you enjoyed the chapter :P


	27. Chapter 27

Loki dipped a soft brush in the powder again, using it with deadly precision. 

“It’s going to take you a week,” you noticed while painting the nails on his other hand. 

“It will be a week well-spent then,” he said, barely moving his lips. He had nice cheekbones, but they could always look nicer. 

“Only if you use more glitter. You promised." 

"The silly bet you insisted on only covered the part of using ‘some’ glitter. There was no word specifying the amount or placement." 

You looked at your work. Loki had really nice hands, and the deep green polish you found seemed to be a perfect choice. You were sure it would match the suit he chose from the seemingly bottomless (and actually enchanted) bag that now laid near the bed in your room. If only, of course, he would hurry up and put it on. 

He must’ve noticed your impatience in the mirror. You were sitting on the edge of the bathtub in the tiny confines of your bathroom, and it would be very hard for Loki not to see you from so close. 

"We’d have more time if I didn’t have to fix your face first.” He pointed the brush at you accusingly. 

“My face was just fine." 

"Except for that marvelous bruise on your jaw. And that scratch on your brow. We surely wouldn’t raise any questions if we went there looking beat up." 

"I told you the glitter would fix it and it did.” You appraised your looks in the mirror, pushing Loki away. “The more glitter the better.”

“It’s not—" 

"The best time for glitter is everyday and the second best time is now! Embrace that simple truth, you coward." 

”…that literally makes no sense.“

But he’d rather run his throat dry than successfully explain that to you, so Loki didn’t bother. Besides, surprisingly, he wasn’t as frustrated as he would usually get at this point. 

The hand wielding the brush stilled for a moment. It was a shame his mind didn’t, and instead jumped to a few very far-fetched conclusions and realisations that hit him like a punch to the gut. 

Sure, he had spent a lot of time with you lately, and it actually wasn’t _that_ bad and he enjoyed quite a few moments, but to think that, maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny, unthinkable possibility that he… 

A sense of dread filled him, and a shiver ran down his spine. 

_Nope_. 

He’d think about that some other time. Right now, he had to look his absolute best, and that was something worth focusing his whole attention on. 

With a sigh you didn’t know the source of, he put down the brush you 'borrowed’ along with a few other handy items. He had no idea what the fake face the filthy enchantment put on him looked like, but the one he was seeing in the mirror was absolutely marvelous. Loki carefully combed through his hair, noticing a few glittering speckles that he was sure weren’t there just moments ago. 

He sent you a knowing glare, but it didn’t seem to work. He must’ve fallen out of practice. 

"You’re really good at all that,” you gestured to the cosmetics. “There’s no sign I got my ass beaten only a few days ago." 

"Of course I am,” He said. "You have no idea how many times it has saved me from trouble." 

"Oh, do tell,” you grinned, fanning your hand over his drying polish. 

“Let’s just say that trying to convince a few unfriendly beasts being held at the stables to have a good time in the gardens where a feast was being held was definitely worth it.”

You looked at the brushes and pencils. “I don’t see the connection." 

"Altering your appearance through magic can be detected. But changing your features temporarily using means that can be wiped clean in a few seconds—well, that’s a different story." 

Loki smiled a little at the distant memory. He remembered the feast very well, as he did the warrior whose name it was being held for. Said warrior was often posted with other guards near the central area of the palace, and he made it very hard to sneak around undetected. Some of the other guards, especially the older ones, at least pretended to look the other way, but he never did. 

Your laugh warmed something in him, but Loki didn’t dwell on the feeling. After all, there was a party to crash. 

"How is the boy faring?” he asked while changing a few minutes later. 

“Busy,” you said, waiting on your bed. “He’s really into that project. I’m pretty sure he wants to impress MJ and that’s why he’s so… restless. I hope it all goes well.”

“Will he be joining us tonight?" 

"No, he wouldn’t pass—he’s too young, remember? And besides, he’ll probably be spending the evening working out the details of his project. He told you that at dinner, didn’t you listen?" 

"My bad.”

Loki didn’t sound guilty. You weren’t surprised. Still, if he didn’t care at all about Peter, he wouldn’t ask about him. Someone seemed to be growing a soft spot. 

“Just to make sure,” you said, fixing your shoes. “You do remember you have to act like a human for a while? We have to blend into the crowd." 

"Oh dear,” Loki opened the bathroom door dramatically. “I shouldn’t have showered then." 

You ignored the sarcasm and whistled as you appraised his look. Asshole or not, Loki knew how to dress up. 

"Don’t say a word and keep on looking like this and we actually stand a chance of not getting thrown out after five minutes." 

Loki huffed, whipping his hair over his shoulder with a practiced gesture. "I’m a delight. They should be grateful I laid my eyes on that rathole at all.”

“I’m sure they will be." 

You linked arms and marched out of the room that had become a little more chaotic in the past hours. It took you a long time to finally put up a look that had both of you satisfied. What clothing didn’t make it to the final round, ended up abandoned on various surfaces. 

The evening painted the skies over the city black. As you passed the huge windows, you noticed no snow speckles dancing on the wind. It was a shame from an aesthetic point, but would make the way to the party easier. 

Loki was in an amazing mood—right until the two of you were noticed. 

"Where the hell are you two going this time?” Tony’s question echoed in the corridor as he stopped dead in his tracks. 

Bruce was right beside him, with a handful of papers and a coffee, but he stayed quiet. The memories of what had once happened between him and Loki must’ve still been fresh in his memory from the look on his face. 

“We,” you cooed with the sweetest smile you could muster. “Are going to socialize a little." 

Tony blinked. "Over my dead body." 

"That can be arranged,” the soft velvet of Loki’s voice caressed the unspoken promise. 

There was a part of you (a big one) that wished to see Tony take that one small step for the situation to escalate. An equal part of Bruce, tugging on Tony’s sleeve, wanted the precise opposite—and it won. 

Tony pointed a finger at you. “Don’t disappoint us.”

You laughed and resumed walking with Loki by your side. 

“Trust me, whatever your expectations of us are, we’ll best them." 

”…that’s what I’m afraid of,“ was all Tony said, a bitter edge in his voice. 

On any other day, Loki might’ve laughed at that, but the night was young and full of possibilities that for once didn’t bother him much. The arm linked with yours seemed to steady him as much as push him forward. Loki had no talents regarding predicting the future, but for the first time in a while, the unknown didn’t bother him. Little seemed to bother him lately, and he enjoyed the feeling. 

You left the building behind you and entered the winter chill. Your steps fell into sync as you entered the snow-covered streets and only then did Loki dare look at you. 

The night was indeed young and full of possibilities. Even ones he was only beginning to realize. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I sense this slow-burn warming up...? 
> 
> Please leave a note if you read/enjoyed this chapter! AO3 is still having problems with showing me how many people exactly read new chapters, and I really love reading your reactions to this story!!


	28. Chapter 28

The cheap excuse of a building, decorated quite violently in various obnoxious colorful shades, welcomed its new guests with blasts of a dying sanity. Music, you said. Loki would laugh, but he had to keep his teeth from chattering. 

The dancing, as you'd explained, was occurring in the vast central space of the large, windowless room, somewhere in between the wrenching, spasming bodies glistening from sweat and spilled drinks. Loki was unsure where precisely, for the lights were changing rapidly in colorful, nauseating bursts, but he trusted your word on it. 

The interesting part actually seemed to be happening on the outskirts of the room, in the booths shadowed partially from the lights, and behind the few beautiful people dancing on the poles in a breathtaking show of agility with their painted bodies. 

Loki admired their skill for a moment before his attention was snatched to the two men standing by the far wall, nothing outstanding about them, right until the moment they opened a door for another man and then quickly closed it behind him. Despite the overwhelming amount of decorations stabbing Loki's eyeballs from every space he looked, the door was bare of any, making it almost invisible were it not for the movement. 

"Interesting," he muttered, his voice almost lost in the clamor. You only heard him because you were still standing together by the entrance, taking everything in. 

"We'll have to split up and find a nice tiger's tail to step on," you agreed. 

"Are you anticipating another fight? You should've warned me, I'd have taken a knife at least." 

You slowly made it down the few stairs leading to the dancing pit. On the other side of it, like a sole beacon in the writhing chaos, shimmered the bar. 

"You took it anyway," you said, sending him a wicked look. 

"What can I say," Loki shrugged. "If we're going to crash this party, we should at least do it with style." 

Your laughter rang in his ears, sweeter than anything the music boxes were capable of producing. You let go of his arm and for a moment, despite the accumulated heat of the ever present mass of bodies, the world felt cold again. 

"Good hunt," you wished him, holding his eyes for a bit longer, and slid into the crowd. 

Loki followed your figure and the shadows casted over your features, changing with each blast of color, but never truly twisting what he had come to know almost instinctively. His heart dropped the tiniest bit when he couldn't see you any longer. 

Loki squared his shoulders, clothed in the finest garment he could spot in this whole place, and decided to take another path, slightly closer to the booths on the left. 

He didn't rush, for he intended to be seen and he didn't shy away from the looks he gathered on his way. There was a cane leaning on one of the tables, behind someone's back. Loki's fingers merely brushed it on his way, and it fell right into his touch, already a part of him. He liked the firm wood under his fingers, although he personally would have chosen a different design. He shouldn't expect much from a person dressed like that, though, so he didn't. 

He merely gazed upon the booths, taking in the people laughing over drinks, some looking more focused on business and some twisted together, making the night memorable, if only poorly. 

By the time he made it to the bar, his ears rang with the deafening sounds, and he welcomed the soft suggestion of a change when the music seemed to quiet down a bit there, probably to allow for any non-yelled conversation. The long counter was polished and its edges engraved with faded silver. There were only a few occupants on the high, backless stools with soft cushions that encircled the place. Alcohol of various shapes and names Loki was unfamiliar with shone on the packed shelf behind the bar man's back. 

The moment Loki chose one of the stools, the bar man's eyes landed attentively on him. The boy seemed young, but Loki was not the best judge of humans' fleeting age. What he could, would, and in fact did base his judgment on, was their taste, and Loki, for the first time since entering this festering hole, enjoyed what he was seeing. 

He leaned to the man, his eyelids heavy and the softest hint of a smile playing on his painted lips. "Why don't you show me what you mortals have fun with, darling?" 

The man must've encountered all sorts of customers over his time, for he did not startle, and did not question Loki's words. He merely smiled, making Loki's eyes fall onto that beautiful feature, and reached behind him for the bottle. 

It was a good start, Loki decided, watching the art unraveling before his eyes. If there was anyone in this place aware of everything the clients did or wanted, the bartender would be the very first person they reached out to. Besides, Loki guessed, the man seemed fairly open to share a few things with him. He was not to blame, of course. There was a mirror behind the bar, and even though the lights danced constantly like feral things, Loki was sure that every second he had spent preparing for that night was visible, noticed, and striking wild jealousy into the hearts of others. Just as things should be. 

But as it happens with all good things, there were dimwitted individuals whose only reason in life was to interrupt such times. 

Loki's interruption looked like a frequent visitor to places of a disputable renown, and even though his clothes held a suggestion of not being ripped from the back of another person, the overall sense of fashion seemed to have been lost - a long time ago, and along with a toothbrush at that. 

"I haven't seen a new face around here lately," the man said, taking the seat next to Loki. 

With the greatest effort, the god forced himself to school his features and not wince or laugh his throat dry at the pathetic excuse to start a conversation. He had to remind himself why he was at that place, and that his main concern should be gathering information, even coming from such an unappealing source. 

"Oh?" he said then, because it wasn't saying anything, but merely acknowledging the man's presence. It was more than he deserved, but Loki was still in a good mood and felt enough generosity not to turn down a potential source. 

The bait had been noticed, and gulped down with the whole hook. 

"I'm pretty sure I'd remember someone so outstanding," the man said. "But I have a feeling we haven't been introduced. My name is Marco and I can't help but wonder what brought you here?" 

"Isn't it obvious?" Loki attended to his drink, sipping it with perfect manners and imperfect curiosity. 

"I'm afraid it isn't," Marco said, and the softest hint of steel plagued his smile. 

Loki sighed, burdened deeply with exhaustion one can only experience in unpleasant social situations. 

He turned his head just enough to see the man. "The word spreads, darling," he said quietly, even though the word was far from being spread yet. "Does it really surprise you that it garners attention?" 

There was a subtle difference between creating a perfect, but blunt bluff, and making it seem natural, and effortless. The night was growing hotter and perfect for crossing lines. 

Marco's gaze dropped for only the shortest bit, but it was enough of a suggestion that Loki's word struck something in him, and a seed of doubt had been planted. 

It would be reckless and naive to think of it as a success already, so Loki didn't let any of his thoughts show on his face. The drink in his hand was sweeter that he imagined, but carried just enough flavor not to overwhelm the taste.

Marco's tongue darted out, wetting his lips. "Listen here, pal," he said. "I'd really like to know who precisely invited you in. We're not open for strangers, you see."

Loki put his hand to his chest. "You have no idea how much physical pain it gives me but I have to decline." 

The man blinked once, unsure if he was being mocked. "I beg your pardon?" he said through gritted teeth. 

Loki shrugged, indifferent. 

"Then beg." 

It was difficult to guess the changes in Marco's face, but Loki had a feeling it'd gotten a tad more red than it used to be. Such a beautiful sight it was, a man boiling inside. Loki chuckled and watched the man get to his feet. For a moment, it looked as if he was readying for a punch, but the idea left him as soon as it came. 

"This is not over," he spat and scrambled back into the twisting crowd. 

The barman, even though he had pretended not to see the conversation, cast a look after him. Loki leaned closer, baiting him with the empty glass. 

Another drink was served to him. Loki caught the bar man's eyes. "I've been wondering for some time now - this place is so huge and new to me. I would hate to wander off somewhere not meant for my humble self." 

The barman fiddled with the bottle for a second longer. 

"I'd certainly refrain from angering the mobsters," he finally said. His head motioned towards a booth at the far end of the wall to the right, only a few steps away from the not-so-secret door. 

The men sitting there were obscured in more shadows than other parts of the place. It almost looked like a conscious choice was made when the lights had been hanged. The dark suits were bare of any details, and so were their grim faces. It was difficult to see well through the bodies on the dance floor in between, but Loki thought he could see some cards being played. He wondered, although the answer should be obvious thanks to the semi-circle of empty space around them, if anyone would be reckless enough to join them for a round or two. 

A part of him tugged him in that direction. Stepping on a tiger's tail was a perfect description of what his soul sang for. If there ever was a better way to unleash chaos than angering the ones in power, Loki still hadn't found one. 

As if summoned by his wishes, the perfect partner in crime appeared on the edge of the crowd. Your cheeks were flushed from the heat emanating from the people, but your steps were as swaggering as ever. The smile you threw in Loki's direction was painted in the shades of deep, unruly satisfaction one was only able to achieve right before ruining someone's day. 

Loki felt your arms wrap around his shoulders as your hand gently turned his head in the mobsters' direction. 

"How do you feel about a game of cards?" 

His heart skipped a beat, his fingers twitched around the glass. "Dear, do I hear malicious intent in your voice?"

"Me? Suggesting we see how much they are able to lose before their patience snaps? I'd never." 

A laugh rumbled in his chest. "Then let's play the fairest game of cards this place has ever seen, love." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing this chapter, it was fun and I'm really proud of the mood I was able to capture, or at least I hope I did, haha. Please tell me what do you think of the chapter, I really love reading them!


	29. Chapter 29

Life is one of those complicated concepts that usually take years to master its basic truths, and even then one can never be sure if any random, unexpected turn of events won't bring new factors into the equation. 

Loki was far from understanding the universal truths of the universe, but his mind often wandered into the more philosophical aspects of reality. On one of his journeys though, and one seasoned with the tiniest bit of wine at that, Loki came to a rather rattling conclusion that to wreak chaos, your own two hands were sufficient, but if you truly needed to unravel a catastrophe, you needed a team. 

Loki liked his current team, even if it only consisted of one person. 

"Oh dear," you mused sweetly, putting your cards on the table. "It looks like I am, indeed, lucky tonight." 

The card Loki slid into your hand a few seconds ago was right in the middle. It was a beautiful sight. 

"Who doesn't love a little luck?" the thick accent of the man barely covered the growl rumbling in his deep voice. He was a mountain of a man that apparently went by the self-explanatory title of Boss. 

Boss had little hair and even less patience. Loki was sure he used up the last of the latter when he had to deal with two people suddenly invading his private booth and inviting themselves into his round of cards. There was a moment when things were a breath away from escalating, when two of the bodyguards rose with an intent very clear on their faces. Loki braced himself for the impact, and had already shifted his bodyweight for the upcoming fight, but as it was very common amongst men of culture, this situation too was resolved with the most universal argument - the money. 

Whoever you grabbed the money off in the crowd, was up for a very nasty surprise - Loki's favorite one. He laughed as you slid into the booth with that wicked smile of yours and threw the money over the cards. The two of you must have looked like madmen, at least if the reaction of the crowd was any indication. The glances thrown in your direction were quick and wide-eyed, but no expected bloodshed followed. Not yet, at least. Not if Loki and you had anything to say in the matter. 

"I absolutely love having a good time with you, guys," you said, pushing the money you won onto your side of the round table. "We should do this more often." 

The two bodyguards had to leave the booth to make room for you to play with Boss. They didn't venture far, but stood right behind the cushioned couch circling the table and stared with growing anger. It spread like the stench of sweat, evaporating through their pores. Loki blew another kiss in their direction. 

"You sure are a lucky pair," Boss rumbled. His eyes scanned you from underneath his thick brow. "I rarely see someone with so much attitude in this place. To be honest, I think I'm seeing you for the first time." 

"It's never too late to make friends," Loki flashed his most annoying half-smile, making sure to pour some of his drink on the floor before another guard "accidentally" passed the booth. You were both walking a very thin line, already stretched and taunt. 

"Friends - yes. But I'm starting to think your intentions might be a little different." 

You gasped. Loki looked offended. The line grew thinner. 

"I swear to god," you put a hand over your heart. "We have no evil intentions towards you or anyone in this place." 

The god solemnly approved. He liked you. You earned your pass. 

"Are you up for another round?" he asked, pouring you more wine and then serving himself. "Oopsie, looks like another bottle is gone. It really is a good night." 

The bottle flew over his shoulder and crashed with a satisfying sound that made it through the booming music. Someone cursed. 

A muscle twitched in the Boss's jaw. 

"Get out." 

"Oh, dear," you leaned into Loki dramatically. "Look at what you've done. I think he lost his temper." 

"It appears so," he admitted indifferently, brushing your arm with his free hand. Sure, it was a part of your performance, but it still felt good when you didn't flinch or pull away. He tried not to think too much about it. 

The flashing lights did wonders to your features, though. 

"Don't worry, Boss, I'll get you a new one," you crooned and slipped out of the booth before anyone could stop you. 

You sent a meaningful look in Loki's direction before disappearing into the crowd. It must have held a significant meaning - that much was obvious. But for a reason completely unknown to him, Loki had no idea what it was about. 

He cursed you softly in the safety of his thoughts, but without ill intentions. 

"Smile, darling," he addressed the Boss to cover his feelings. "The night is only growing more beautiful with each passing minute." 

"I wouldn't be so sure." Boss lit another cigarette. The thick smoke filled the secluded confines of the booth. Loki wrinkled his nose with pure, unfiltered disgust. 

"As if the general smell of this rathole wasn't bad enough," he rasped dramatically, waving in front of his face. 

"If you're so unhappy here, I'd usually suggest leaving, but with you two…" Boss leaned closer. "I'd actually prefer for you to stay a while longer. I'd really like to hear your stories." 

There were three things that Loki realised at that very moment. 

First and the most important one, was that your so-called plan actually succeeded. There was no way Boss would let you go now. 

Second was the reason behind your very meaningful stare. The man seemed to be missing one of his clue elements. And Loki knew precisely the sneaky bastard who'd dare to put their sticky fingers over Boss's phone without him noticing. 

The third and the least pleasant one, was that Boss was even more hideous from up close. 

Loki turned his eyes off his face, and by chance or blind luck, caught sight of you by the bar. You had your back towards the booth, but you seemed to be very occupied with something - either the phone or buying time. Loki wished he had a way of telling you time had just run out, but it seemed like once again, things would get heated without any forewarning. 

Boss caught his gaze. 

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll find a nice place for your partner too." 

Something tightened in Loki's chest. "What did you just say?" 

The man barked a laugh, leaning back on the couch with a grand gesture. It was probably meant to distract Loki enough for one of the bodyguards to slip in behind him. Loki pretended he didn't catch the reflection in his empty glass. 

The music was deafening, but over the bass and strange, sharp sounds, the blood started to pound in Loki's veins, despite his hands growing colder. Boss didn't notice the change in the atmosphere. He didn't notice the air halt and the people closest to them disperse, subconsciously giving in to their instincts.

Instead, he said:

"You thought we wouldn't notice that we somehow got ourselves cops in this place? What, you couldn't get a warrant so you went undercover and thought no one would bat an eye?" he sneered, puffing a greyish cloud of smoke. "You better have some fun tonight. It's your last chance." 

Well, time had run out. Loki wished you good luck on your side of the club. 

And started the fun. 

You, on the other hand, noticed very little of what was happening back at the booth. You were lucky enough to use the few seconds of distraction and the general mess on the table to snatch the phone, but you were sure that was where your luck ended. 

Peter was right, and something was definitely going on in the place, but without hard evidence, it would be difficult to prove anything. Your best guess was somewhere between drugs (exchanges of which you could spot a few places even now) and maybe some smuggling business. But there always could be more, right? 

For more, sadly, you reached out without a second thought and now had to deal with the consequences. Especially as the correct password ideas were running thin with each of your guesses. 

You wanted to smash the phone over the bar, but you did your best to smile nonchalantly as you waited for the barman to get the booze you requested. Playing with a phone could not be suspicious by any means, but you felt like you were holding a ticking bomb. It was not how you expected to spend the night, and neither, apparently, did the barman. 

He put the bottle in front of you, casting a glance over your shoulder. You had a nasty suspicion he noticed who you had been residing with for the past half an hour. 

He cleared his throat and you held the phone a little firmer, ready to smash his face. 

"I think your friend dropped something," was at the very bottom of the list of the things you expected to hear. 

He was holding something out. You looked at the note with an unmistakable line of numbers on it and then back at the barman, currently looking away. You slipped the note into your pocket. 

"I'll make sure he gets it back," you said. Maybe the night wasn't so lost. 

Some relief was seen on the man's face as the tension left his shoulders. "Do you think he—”

You would never get to know what was about to be said, because that was the precise moment when the aforementioned "he" decided to snap. Along with the table, from the sounds of it. 

The stool turned smoothly underneath you as you steered yourself to face the chaos. Unsurprisingly, Loki was in the center of it. What did surprise you was the rate at which the chaos was moving toward you. 

Screams and curses pierced the air from those standing in the way of the chaos. Bodies were pushed aside, drinks spilled, and dresses ruined as the hurricane erupted. The flashing colors bathed the scene in an ethereal aesthetic, making you wish you had a camera. 

It truly was a sight to marvel at, you admitted as you watched Loki's nimble figure move between the guards, avoiding some punches and looking unfairly good while taking others. 

An arm was yanked the way no limb was supposed to be bent. The man tumbled into the dissipating crowd, clutching it to his chest. Another was coming from behind, but he too wasn't spared from the gracious violence the god unraveled on his way. Sweat and makeup glistened on his skin, and his hair was blown to one side from the speed he moved at. 

The force of nature incarnated moved closer. You jumped behind the bar, grabbing a bottle as you did so. Loki soon followed. Something suspiciously similar to gunshots sounded on the other side not much later. 

You slipped on the floor, hip colliding painfully with the surface, but it didn't ruin your mood as you turned to Loki. 

"That was amazing. I want to get you painted." 

"If we had time, I'd suggest a nude version," he said, a little breathlessly. 

He wiped his hair off his face and slipped further down the thick steel and polished wood as glass rained down. Countless bottles on the huge, ceiling-high shelves behind the counter, now being crushed into pieces by the shots. 

Your arm stung as the shards bit into your skin. You kept your face down as Loki pulled you underneath him, holding you tight to his chest. You watched the alcohol pool over the floor and the loose shards of colorful, thick glass littering the floor in a thick layer. There was little space between the counter and the wall, and you felt your clothes start to soak as the two of you cowered into as small a target as possible. It was not the best moment for such reflections, but you had to admit, Loki had the perfect body to be pressed into. 

Under Loki’s arm, you met the eyes of the barman, kneeling two steps away. Whatever happiness he had half a minute ago, now seemed to perish along with the priceless bottles shining on the floor. 

"You guys are nuts!" he yelled over the uproar, Army crawling someplace safer. 

You watched his bent back leave only the two of you behind the bar. He must've truly believed in his luck to risk leaving cover. Or, which was far more probable, he just wanted to get as far away from you as possible. 

You couldn't blame him. 

"We have to move," you tried to yell over the noise. "Before they come and take us out." 

"Thank you for your input, and how do you plan to execute it?" Loki snarled, showered in liquor. 

He should've known that asking you for a plan was a bad, terrible, not good idea, but in the moment he asked, his patience was worn thin and his focus was elsewhere, so really, it couldn't be blamed entirely on him. 

Asking you for a plan was actually a great idea in your humble opinion. There was a certain amount of talent and pure genius involved in coming up with a way of getting out of such a situation. All you needed was an upturned stool previously occupying the other side of the bar, and the spreading puddle of alcohol. 

Before Loki protested, you untangled yourself from his limbs. There was little space behind the bar, but you managed to push yourself from one of the shelves to gain speed as you slid on the slippery floor to the left. 

The shield of the counter ended right when you reached the abandoned stool, grasping it with both hands. The glass bit into your legs, but you ignored it for the time being. Swinging the stool at the closest bodyguard was far more attention consuming. 

It hit the target with a satisfying, if a little nauseating, crunch. You felt the impact in your hands. The stool slipped from your wet fingers, but you were already moving to the next man, dangerously close to where Loki and you had been hiding moments ago. 

The man started, not expecting to see you fighting back. He backed a step, and turned the gun in your direction with an unnerving smoothness. The lights blinded you for a moment, flashing straight into your eyes. Your foot slipped on the wet floor and you fell to the left with all the grace of a bag of potatoes.

A shot pierced the air and deafened you, but the bullet didn't meet your flesh. Your elbow, not yet healed, screamed in protest as it hit the floor first. You saw yourself moving back up, but you also saw the gun turning to point at you again. The gun was faster. 

The world was spinning and colors merged, but you could have sworn a hand reached out from behind you, whether to push you or shield you, you'd never know. 

What you saw in more detail than you ever thought possible, was the thick, grey metal of a bracelet around its wrist. Something collided with it, by skillful placement or mere luck, denting the metal in what must have been a painful hit. 

And then the bracelet broke. 

The lights dulled and for a moment the air felt too heavy to breathe as your lungs screamed under the bone-cracking pressure. And as cracking static prickled the men's skin, something shifted deep in the fabric of reality and then surged to the surface and broke out fully. 

Magic rushed from the bottomless pit it'd been locked in for too long, freezing everything in its wake. It stung Loki's skin, as if a conscious part of his soul, angry, lonely and immensely powerful, finally found him and reconnected with what was unrightfully severed. 

The god smiled. And struck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you something was coming.  
> What do you think? :D I'm so in love with this series tbh.


	30. Chapter 30

There are moments in life that stay with you, engraved in your memories for reasons beyond your understanding. Time stretched when you reminisced over them later, as if your mind had chosen to catch all of the tiniest details of what unrolled before your eyes. This was one of those moments. 

The air felt solid as you gasped, trying to heave it into your lungs. Something shifted deep in the fabric of reality, bending shapes and playing tricks with perspective. The floor under your knees shook, as if something had struck it with unparalleled force. There was a creak somewhere to your right, as if the walls wailed. The music blasting only seconds ago, ended abruptly with a series of sharp notes. 

Loki’s power surged back into him, his skin felt alive with it, and he was finally free of the reins forced on him. Blood sang in his veins and magic swirled in dark curls, weaving between his fingers. It wasn't bad, living like a mortal for the past weeks. 

But there was nothing better than being a god. 

Power blasted into the last two men standing by the bar, too shaken and surprised to raise their guns again. They might have presented a pitiful sight, were it not for the bullet that was meant for you, shot without hesitation mere seconds ago. 

Loki's hand clasped your shoulder when a sudden wave hit him and muted all of his other senses. You were fine. He could feel you under his touch, still breathing, still fine… 

But you had been so close to—... 

Loki didn't hold back his power as it rushed toward the men, sending them through the air. They landed hard into the scattered tables. The wind tore at whatever was loose, hurtling it in any and all directions. The few people that were still in the club scattered off into the entrance, almost blocked by the writhing mass of bodies pressing into one another in primal fear of the unknown and the chaos and…  _ him _ . 

And Loki knew that they were right. He could feel their feverish, half-mad eyes burning through him and the mess surrounding the area. Chairs had been thrown and broken, lights ripped from the ceiling, tatteres of colorful clothing abandoned where the wind left them along the broken glass. And as the unnatural wind died out, so did that wild, untamed part of him, as if only now it noticed what was raised in its wake. 

It was his doing. 

The fingers curled over your arm twitched as he realized the two men were in no shape to stand up and do any more harm. The body he felt was too warm for him, too real, and too quiet. 

A breath was shaken out of his throat as Loki forced himself to pry his fingers off you. You were fine, he made sure of that, even though he only finished what you started. You didn't need him so close. In fact, he wasn't sure if you needed him at all, and certainly not after what he'd just wreaked upon the place. 

The magic calmed and withered, backing off to rest over his struggling, suddenly heavy heart. The silence was unbearable. He didn't dare look at you yet, and he didn't want to admit the reasons for that. Didn't want to see the fear or disgust or maybe even betrayal on the face he came to—

Spilled drinks soaked into his trousers as Loki kneeled on the shattered glass, the music a distant, wounded screeching of dying electronics. Some of the lights had already given out by the time the club was emptied of all the people reasonable enough to run away. 

"Loki…?" 

He didn't raise his head, the dark curls painting his face in shadows. There was nothing now preventing him from leaving the planet, as he had intended to all those weeks ago, but—

Fingertips brushed over his clenched fist, brushing off a piece of glass stuck to his skin. There was a heartbreaking gentleness to the gesture and the swollen void in his chest tightened watching it. 

"Are you okay?" 

His lips twitched. That was the very last thing you should be worrying about at the moment. 

He let the all too familiar hands close over his cheeks, raising his eyes to meet yours at last, already resigned to watch as whatever had grown between you withered and faded away. 

He did not expect to see awe glowing in your eyes. Or the pure warmth and tenderness curving the corners of your mouth as you looked over him. You tucked his hair behind his ear, not letting go of him. 

"That was absolutely amazing!" you said, exhaling as tension seemed to lift off your shoulders and genuine, unfiltered joy took its place. 

That was not what he expected. He searched for a lie, for an uncertainty hidden in the shadows or a facade. But he couldn't find any. 

Relief washed over him, and all of the exhaustion that had been building up in him hit at once, sagging him further into the floor. He felt limp and boneless in ways unexplainable by words. Worry clouded your features at the sudden change and you shuffled closer, looking for any wound. 

"If you got stabbed and didn't even tell me…" 

"I'm fine. Really," Loki added when you didn't stop. "Just tired." He took your hand in his, stopping it in the tracks roaming over his chest as you searched for any blood or injury. His heart beat heavily under your touch, but not in an unpleasant way. There was a certain glint in your eyes that indicated you felt it too and you finally noticed how close you were, huddled in the middle of what used to be the dance floor. Space yawned around you, but you pressed closer as if constricted by tight walls. 

There were a lot of things noticed in those silent moments between you. Unfortunately, one of them was a certain individual sneaking his way behind your backs. 

Loki tore his eyes off you with visible effort. He knew that individual. 

"What would you say, love," he said. "To the prospect of finishing what we started?" 

"I'd say I like your ideas more with each passing day." You watched Marco fumble through the clothes of an unconscious guard, knocked down in the whirlwind next to the door he used to guard. 

Marco noticed the attention he received. His skin was ghostly pale already, bare from the colors that used to flash through the air. He had a pass in his hands and he ran to the only door left on that side of the club. The other one was behind your backs. 

Your legs were shaky as you finally got up, watching as the door opened and then closed behind Marco's back. 

"We need to find another pass," you said, looking to other guards. 

"We don't." 

Loki's stride was far from light, but he didn't hesitate as he neared the control panel that operated the door. You trailed behind him, the sprinkling of glass crunching under the soles of your shoes. 

Something shifted in Loki. He grasped the metal. 

It bent with the awful shriek of things bending the way they absolutely should not under normal circumstances. But the circumstances had very recently changed, and now, with the power of a god, magic, and pure spite aiding you, some of your problems faded away. 

Loki bent in a deep, regał bow, presenting you the now open entrance. "After you, love." 

This? This you could get used to. 

You took his outstretched hand and dove into the unlit space crowded with dusty shelves and a foul smell hanging in the air. Loki snapped his fingers, and a light appeared over your heads, illuminating the full spectre of unquestionably illegal articles of a very questionable origin. 

"I really want to burn this place to the ground," you said.

"That can be arranged," Loki purred into your ear as more light flashed in the corners of the stock. "But I'm afraid some of the rats might decide to scatter off," he added as he watched Marco leap from between the shelves and into the narrow, steep stairs leading to the roof. Loki flickered his hand, casting sparks onto the nearest fabric.

"Good." 

He pursued, fingers entwined with yours. The flames engulfed the months of hoarded hideousness, burned with a hunger that could never be sated. 

The air was cold as the night's chill bit into your exposed, flushed skin. You almost sighed with relief. It felt like a blessing after the stifling club's interior. Snow started to fall again, silent as it brushed over the velvety night. 

"Let me go!" Marco screamed, perched on the distant corner of the roof, covered in a thick blanket of white. "Just get away!" 

"And why would we do that?" Loki mused, standing tall by your side. "You wanted to get to know us better, didn't you?" 

The sirens echoed through the streets as police neared the now obvious chaos beneath you. Shouts and calling could be heard already. 

Marco noticed that too, standing on the very edge of the roof. He glanced at the red and blue lights flashing over the nearby buildings. And then he looked at the old, rusty ladder leading all the way down to it. 

"Wow. We're officially worse than the cops," you laughed as the man disappeared over the edge. The urge to follow him vanished along with the sweaty mop of his hair. 

"That's an achievement worthy of such a night," Loki said, relishing the feeling of having you so close under a sky full of stars. His thumb circled your knuckles gently. 

"We should get business cards. I can already see it: 'Professional mischief, for an affordable price'. We could ruin people's days AND get paid for it." 

Loki laughed. He felt light and full of life and the night was still young as he led you into the middle of the roof. The sirens were close now, and it would take only minutes before officers crowded the building again, but for now, for those precious moments, you had it all to yourselves. 

"I like the sound of it," Loki said, gazing from the sky to you. There was a soft smile playing on his face, under the dust, sweat, and unexplainable flecks of glitter. "When will we get them?"

"We could place the order tomorrow. If, of course, you plan to stay for as long…?" 

The unfinished question reminded Loki of a certain detail. He looked at his now bare wrist, where the bracelet had shattered. The skin wasn't broken, but he still felt the memory of the impact in his flesh.

"Everything would be easier if you hated me," he said. 

"Easier doesn't always mean better." 

"I know you want to be nice, but—" 

"Loki, I can give you a 7-page long essay on why you deserve good things in life."

He chuckled. "Only 7?"

"I promise to use a small font. And if you insist, I can use some fancy words too, like ‘self-worth issues' or 'leniency'." 

"I'd be delighted to read that," he said and it was the truth. 

The night grew darker and his heart grew warmer every time he looked at you. 

And if it were possible, he'd let the night devour him whole if only he could marvel at you for the rest of eternity. 

Loki's thumb rested over your knuckles as he leaned closer, perfectly aware of how tight his throat was… 

And then, something very vital broke inside the building. 

You both froze with wide eyes as the whole construction quaked. Something cracked deep under your feet. And again. 

"Time to go," Loki said, his face inches from yours. You couldn't agree more - or maybe you would, if only you weren't suddenly lifted off the ground and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

But, in all of its unexpectancy, that was not the bad part. 

That part came when Loki sprinted straight to the edge of the roof, with absolutely no intention of slowing down. 

Your nails dug deep into his back, and a curse, a prayer, and a promise simultaneously left your mouth, joined by an ear-shattering screech as Loki jumped off the roof. 

There was a strange moment when your mind refused to acknowledge the fact of what happened. After all, who wanted to watch themself splat into the ground from the top of a building? You wouldn't, that much was certain. And you didn't, which was surprising. 

The ground was a distant view that had no intention of getting closer. You twisted your head enough to see Loki effortlessly jump step by step through the thin air, casting some flickering lights beneath his feet with his free hand. He climbed higher, which was another great idea - there was no way people would miss such a sight. 

"You good?" he asked, a little breathless. 

"Perfect.” You focused on his wonderful backside. 

In the distance, the club building cracked open on one side. Flames cast a red aura over the place. There were more sirens now, and people rushing in all directions, tiny as ants. 

"I think we destroyed private property tonight." 

"I might've went a little too far, I think…?" Loki mused, his pace slowing down at last. In the gloom of the night, no one from the ground should be able to spot you so high up. 

"I hate you, and I love you, and your shoulder is doing things to my bladder that neither of us are going to appreciate in a moment, so how about we focus on that right now…?" 

Before you stopped rambling, he stopped in the middle of the sky, and shifted your weight so he could hold you to his chest. 

"Better?" he flashed a wicked smile, fully aware of every inch of your bodies touching. 

"My bladder sends thanks." 

"The pleasure is mine." 

For a few quiet seconds you watched as the flames rose high over the building. Loki wasn't happy with how far they reached already. With a silent command, he extinguished them, cutting off the magic sustaining the inferno. 

The night grew darker without their aura.

The snow drifted away on lazy gusts of wind. He felt you shiver and curl closer into him. And as much as he enjoyed the sensation, he needed to take you somewhere warm. 

"Let's go home, shall we?" 

"As long as you go with me." 

"Always, love." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing this chapter and finally having the opportunity to take things a step further with those cuties. I really hope you enjoyed the whole (29-chapter-long, oops!) set-up for what's going to happen now. Please tell me what do you think about it. I've never in my life invested myself so much into a story and I must say I feel like it's a part of me by now.


	31. Chapter 31

There was a certain calm in wandering through the crisp, winter air with snow drifting past you. It wasn't disturbed even by the familiar pounding of magic rushing through Loki's veins. He was glad to have it back, of course, but there were other things on his mind as well, and very pleasant things at that. 

He liked the way your body fit against his, as if they were always meant to touch. He liked the way snow enveloped the two of you, brushing against your skin in a gentle, knowing caress. And loved the way your eyes lit up when the green mist formed underneath his feet and he soared through the night over the quiet city. There was wonder and awe in your eyes that Loki recognized easily, back when he was only starting to learn about the forces of the universe, and was enticed with the stories of old, powerful sorcerers that his mother seemed to never run out of. 

There was something enchanting in the way the particles drifted away, on a wind that blew into another dimension. It was a peaceful thing and by the time Loki finally reached the Tower, you were almost lulled to sleep from watching it. He smiled softly when you fought to keep your eyes open. 

The smile ghosted on his lips again some time later, when it was Loki's turn to shower and wash the inexplicable amount of dirt that had somehow stuck to both of you through the events of the night. It was a pleasure to get rid of it, but Loki could feel he was growing more weary with each minute spent under the warmth of the water. Any more and he might drift off too. 

Loki stepped out of the treacherous comfort of the shower and dried himself in the towel. He wiped away the steam that formed over the mirror and stared at it for a moment. 

His hair had seen better days, but he had no energy to untangle the mess. Brushing a suspicious amount of shattered glass out of it had to be enough for the night. You wouldn't mind anyway.

He suddenly became very aware of the person waiting on the other side of the door. Loki didn't think the night would progress the way it did, but he certainly wouldn't whine about it. To be fair, he… He was actually the happiest he'd been in a long time. Very long time. 

It almost felt too good to be true, and there was a part of Loki that expected to see the bed empty when he got back to the room. To see his dream vanished without a trace, gone before he managed to convince himself he deserved it. 

But there you laid, bundled under the blankets, melting the chill out of your bones. And you waited for him, in the calm glow warming through the window from the city below. 

"Pleasant shower?" you asked. 

"I found glitter in places I'd have never expected it to be," he admitted, slipping under the covers on his side of the bed.

The shadows were deep, but he could still see the outline of your figure, laying on one side to face him. The snow kept falling through the sky behind your back, and there was a certain quiet to the world that calmed heartbeats and made thoughts wander. 

You were barely visible from beneath the covers as you tried to preserve every ounce of warmth that seeped out of you on the journey home through the skies. It was a pleasant memory, despite the chill that snuck under your skin and didn't want to leave just yet. 

It was alright though, because it just so happened that you were lying close together, just enough to be aware of each other's presence without looking. 

"It was fun," you whispered. Loki felt your breath on his face. 

"I saw a few horrendous buildings we can take care of next." 

"The city should be grateful to us for getting rid of that one." 

"I'm not sure that's how it works, but it would be nice," he admitted, watching the shadows play over your features. 

"Do you remember that time I said I must've grown on you, and you said I was more like a tumor?" 

Loki winced. 

"Kind of…" 

"That hurt all three of my feelings." 

"You've got THREE? I've only ever seen you use two." 

"That's because the third one is new and still developing."

Oh.  _ Oh _ .

"...may I help with that?" 

"I’d hoped you would ask," you smiled. "I worked on that line for the past ten minutes." 

"It was very smooth. I'm impressed." 

"Thank you." 

The night was kind to the two people slowly drifting away under its protective shadows and the thick covers. It calmed their thoughts and left no room for doubts, leaving the struggles of consciousness for different hours. And as a parting gift, it pulled their minds into a peaceful slumber and their hands into the warm presence of one another. 

Night was a protective watcher, and it stayed with them until the first rays of sun reminded it of the natural order. Even then, nothing dared to disturb the two figures, resting with their heads inches apart and fingers intertwined. 

Such was the natural order of things, but as all things natural, humans had a tendency to step in its way. 

The phone buzzed with an intensity only an inanimate object could possess. 

A throaty growl escaped the beast as it dragged its claws across the screen. 

"What the fuck, Peter?" you answered the call after frantically trying to unlock the screen for a good few seconds. "It's too early…" 

Peter's face frowned on the other side of the call. "I just… finished my classes, you know, it's kind of afternoon already… Are you okay, though?" 

You blinked, slowly. One of your eyelids didn't want to open properly. "...duh."

"I just wanted to say that I read the news, and I'm so happy that the police got some suspects and some proof of criminal activity, but I just wanted to ask if… uh, are you sure that almost destroying the building was necessary?"

Loki finally stirred, his head sticking out of the covers right next to you. He put his cheek on your shoulder, trying to comprehend what was going on. 

Peter stuttered and his eyes went wide. "I'm so sorry, I should call you later, forget I called, I just wanted to say the festival is tomorrow and I'd love for you to come, both of you. VISIT, I mean visit, and see, so bye!" 

The phone went dark. Whatever was behind Peter's sudden change, it was too early for you to care. 

You slipped further down the heavenly warm covers and checked your phone. It actually was afternoon, as Peter said, which was surprising, but not as interesting as the news you quickly googled. You nudged Loki, already halfway back asleep. 

"Look, the building collapsed even more after we left." 

"My bad," he mumbled with absolutely no remorse. 

Well, it wasn’t like you had intended for it to fall to pieces, so you couldn't really be blamed for that. Technically, you didn't even touch the construction. 

You tossed the phone away and closed your eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Please leave some sort of a comment if you did!


	32. Chapter 32

There comes a time in one's life when all is said, but still needs to be done, and in a heartbreaking majority of events, it also requires dressing up. 

You watched Loki pull on the ephemeral, golden threads shifting through the air around his face. "You sure it's working?" 

"I know how to cast an illusion, darling," he muttered, focused on the mirror. "It's really not that hard."

"I don't see any difference." 

"You're not supposed to. It'll only work on strangers." 

"So… We'll only know if it worked when someone screams?" 

"I'm touched by how much trust you put in my skills," Loki sneered, with eyes focused on his jaw. You wondered what the face he was working on looked like. Given the intensity, it must’ve been a work of art. 

Loki sealed the illusion and checked it from every angle. It felt so much better than the shabby mud that monk had plastered onto his face with little finesse. It might've worked against the less intellectual part of the population, but to anyone who had even the slightest knowledge of the high arts, it was no more than a laughable effort. 

Loki smiled, imagining the clash that would follow if the monk and his excuse of a sorcerer met the Asgardian magic wielders. It would be a sight worth paying for. Loki would make sure to get a seat in the front row. 

On the other hand, even he had to admit that the bracelet they came up with was a piece of work that he would never expect to find on Earth. Oh, he would've figured out how to get rid of it eventually, of course. There was no denying that. Loki might've figured it out earlier, if he… wasn't distracted. 

He looked at the source of his distraction in the mirror. It was that moment you found something in one of the pockets of your jacket. 

It was a phone. 

"I knew we forgot about something." 

"Is this…?" 

"That guy's phone. I didn't manage to unlock it in the end. How about we drop it at the precinct on our way?" 

Loki frowned. "Won't your officers be suspicious how we came into its possession?" 

"Not if we magic it in. Anonymously." 

"...that is not how it works." 

In the end, it was precisely how it worked. 

The phone, with a handy little note of explanation, just found itself at the right place, at the right time, without anyone at the precinct noticing. 

You patted Loki's shoulder. "Nice job. I wish you could teach me a few tricks." 

"It's not that easy. Your world barely has any magic, so it's difficult to make it comply with one's wishes," Loki said with a hint of sadness as you both turned and walked up the street in the direction of Peter's school. 

The streets were full of people, busy on their errands. The sun was blinding against the fresh scope of snow. The sky was clear and crystal blue, with the sort of unachievable intensity that almost felt artificial. 

"What is it like on other worlds?" 

Loki sighed. Walking so close to you, he could feel the brush of his arm against yours. His hands remained in his pockets, though. The reason wasn't the cold, of course, since he could barely feel the bite of it. His hands, for reasons beyond understanding, kept getting sweaty no matter how many times he discreetly brushed them against the fabric. 

"Spell casting is… essentially, wishing for something to happen, and convincing the world around you that it can become true. Magic is the means by which the world listens to those brave enough to wish. In your world, there's barely any magic. But there are others, where a mere thought shapes reality."

"Must be cool to see that." 

"It's almost like lying, truth be told. Ancient scholars used to classify it as the same thing, although mostly due to mistakes in translation of the most ancient volumes. Thankfully, I'm skilled in both. It makes life easier."

"Wait...so THAT'S where the whole 'Loki the Prince of Lies' thing comes from? Not that you're a lying, deceptive piece of—" 

"That's quite a touchy topic, you know. I might've… meddled in the lives of some very vengeful individuals, who out of pure, unjustified spite might've decided to curse me a little—... Wait, why are there children."

Loki stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the pavement. 

In front of him, as far he could see, stretched a sea of colorful stalls surrounded by a writhing mass of people, dominated by younglings in all shapes, forms, and levels of noise. 

You looked at him and back at the crowd. "It just kinda happens that this huge building right there is Peter's school. And this very school is organising the science fair for the kids attending it. Who, right now, are taking part in it. Here." 

Loki's frown deepened as he comprehended the mess. Groups seemed to form around the stalls, children and adults alike. It would be difficult for a stranger to guess what was being presented on some of the tables, and indeed, Loki couldn't guess it either. Some seemed to flash chemical reactions aimed to showcase colorful effects, mostly to the entertainment of the youngest offspring roaming freely around. Other tables were filled with equipment that surely took a lot of time to build, and even more to explain. Loki was quick to be bored by those. 

While swallowed by the crowds pressing on from every angle, you called Peter, pressing the phone to your ear close enough to hear him over the overwhelming noise. 

There were attempts at bringing order to the gathering, and some spaces had been less prone to chaos than others. Those, usually, were centered around food. 

"Ooh, I like that too," you said, putting the phone away at last. 

Following Loki's gaze, your eyes fell on the delicious looking snacks. The smell drove you insane and seemed to do the trick on the trickster too. You watched as some kids walked by, chewing on the deliciousness. Then you looked at the queue. A very orderly, and very long queue. 

"Hey, Loki." 

"Yes, darling?" 

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" 

"To my great surprise, I think I might be. Magic truly is a blessing." 

Peter found you not so long afterwards, when you were finishing the second round of magically-brought treats. Of course, you made sure an equivalent amount of cash appeared where it should. You didn't fall so low yet to outright steal from kids. 

"Mr. Mischief!" screamed over the heads of strangers was what caught Loki's attention. And the impact of a teenage body jumping right at him was what squeezed the air out of his lungs. 

"Hello, boy," Loki muttered. You gave him thumbs up. 

"I love the way you smell," Peter pressed his face a little more into the god's chest. 

Loki blinked. "Thank you, boy." 

Peter finally unplastered himself from the god and took the both of you in with such genuine joy that you couldn't stop a smile from spreading on your face. He was dressed up in a spotless shirt he kept tugging on. You whiffed a smell of cologne definitely not suited for his age. 

"Someone's nervous," you teased Peter. "I wonder what would've happened if we forgot your ring… " 

"Please, tell me you didn't!" 

"Of course we didn't." You pulled it out of your pocket. So many happy moments were connected to that ring, you almost missed it already. So much cake… 

Peter immediately tucked it away in the pocket on his chest, glancing around himself. If, by any chance, that one special someone was anywhere near, he wanted to know. 

He noticed you watching him. "I'm not nervous. I'm just cautious." 

"Whatever you say, Peter. It's your call." 

Despite his words, Peter couldn't stay in place. "Come on, guys. I gotta show you my project before we present them all!" 

Going any further into the mass of people was the last thing Loki wanted to do. The day was bright and chilly and the place Peter was leading them to was unmistakably a sports hall where the more ambitious, and temperature-sensitive projects had been placed. 

Loki, theoretically, of course, began wondering how he could disappear without anyone noticing. People got lost all the time and no one made a fuss about it. As much as he might not hate the kid, he wasn't interested much in high school projects of dubious chemical reactions, shown in stuffy, smelly interiors. 

As if you could hear his thoughts, you turned your head to face him. "I hope it works out. He's been working his ass off for the past few weeks to impress MJ." 

Before Loki answered, he noticed your outstretched hand. His heart skipped a beat, and jumped into his throat out of surprise. It was a pure coincidence, and a completely normal, random thing to feel, and there was absolutely nothing behind it…

Your hand was warm and felt right in his own. 

Of course Loki didn't get distracted. He just so happened to miss the moment when you reached Peter's lab table, densely occupied by all manner of gadgets and parts, with the main construction hovering above the rest. 

Peter didn't notice Loki's state. He was focused on all the things that still needed to be put in place or cleaned off the table before the presentation began. 

"It's okay, I've got it all under control," Peter said, hiding a few screws in his pocket. "The teachers are probably going to start with the tables over there, so mine would be second to last, which gives me plenty of time to—" 

Plans are good as long as all the parties involved are aware of them. In Peter's case, the teachers weren't. 

Peter's face went pale when he noticed the commission arriving at the table to his right. His eyes were wide and frozen in utter terror. 

And then he desperately tried to scramble everything together in record time.

You tried to help him, but you had absolutely no idea how. All you could do was watch him panic through the preparations at light speed. Loki squeezed your hand. "The boy will do fine." 

The boy was not so sure. 

He barely noticed when his classmates encircled the table, wishing him good luck and sharing advice that vanished from his head in seconds. 

Despite that, Peter managed to clean his table as much as he could before the teachers neared, with notepads in their hands. They tactfully ignored loose parts laying behind him. 

Loki caressed the back of your hand in a reassuring gesture. You both listened to Peter give the explanation of his project, with his voice wavering only a little. Peter started to go through all the steps he had prepared, pointing out all the important details as things you had no idea about changed on the table. The boy was pale, but did his best during the whole process, and as he moved to present the project, you almost believed he had everything under control. 

He didn't. 

In the moment of the biggest tension, when everyone was waiting for the results, they didn't come. 

There was a second of pure, unfiltered panic on Peter's face. He froze, eyes plastered to the unquestionable lack of any result. 

Your elbow jabbed Loki's ribs. The ribs were slowly getting used to it. 

"Please, help him," you whispered with urgency. 

"What am I supposed to do from here?" Loki frowned. He was tall and could see everything from over people's heads, but it didn't change the fact that there was a row of bodies tightly pressed together between him and the boy. 

"I don't know, magic something up." 

"Magic something—It doesn't work like that!" 

"Then make it. Are you the Prince of Lies or not?" 

Loki frowned, torn between looking at you and Peter at the same time. "Oh, blast it…" 

The results, preferably big and flashy, were what the commission was waiting for. Loki gave them results. 

Peter's eyes went wide when his project, that had been completely silent for the past few seconds, suddenly gave fruit to absolutely outstanding results. They were applauded, scored, and noted with grateful smiles as the commission moved to the next table. 

And completely not what was supposed to happen. 

Peter was still frozen in shock as he got encircled by his classmates, and showered in compliments and questions. The shock was still bright on his face as he was dragged further down the line of tables, to support the next unlucky friend. 

Loki followed the boy with his eyes. It looked like no one had noticed that something was not adding up. Loki had a very general idea of what Peter's project was supposed to do, since the lack of time prevented the boy from showing them the final product of weeks of hard work. He wondered which of the girls around Peter was that MJ. 

"I can't believe it worked," he muttered to himself, lost in thoughts just as Peter got lost in the crowd. 

"Thank you. You did great." 

Loki huffed, but couldn't stop the hint of a smile from ghosting over his lips. He supposed he'd have to answer a lot of questions once the boy was freed and jumped him again, but even that idea didn't feel so bad. It felt good to be appreciated and welcome in places and events that were important to someone. He was strangely glad someone wanted him to be a part of their life. 

Loki's breath caught in his throat as your arm slipped around his waist. A nervous, careful presence hugged him for a second, melting any and all resolve he might've still possessed at that point. 

"You're awesome. Wanna steal some more candy with me again?" your voice asked into his neck that suddenly ran with goosebumps. Accidentally, of course. 

But there was nothing accidental about the way Loki leaned into the hug, welcoming it with a feather-light touch to your back. 

"With you? Always, love." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you hadn't already noticed, I really love adding Peter to their merry crew. I hope you don't mind, haha. I'm just internally gushing about what a nice little family they all make. What do you think of this chapter? Please let me know!


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